Chocolate Truffles Makes between 75 and 100 1" truffles Truffles are so called because when made the classic way (with a simple roll in cocoa), they somewhat resemble real truffles -- the dark, misshapen, much-sought-after fungi which are found in the French woods by truffle-snuffling pigs. The disparity above in the number of truffles this recipe will make comes from the fact that you have a choice of coatings. If you choose to coat the truffles simply in cocoa, you will need to make the ganache lumps roughly 1" in diameter. This will give you about 75 truffles. If you choose to do one of the melted chocolate coatings, however, you will need to make the ganache lumps smaller (say, about 3/4"), as the coating adds surprising bulk to the finished truffle. Using one of the melted chocolate coatings will give you about 100 1" truffles. Keep them small; it's lovely to be able to eat two or three truffles if you so choose. The first time I made truffles, they were so big that they looked like muddy golf balls. The point of a truffle is not to overwhelm; it is to provide an intense, direct chocolate experience without making you feel as though you've overindulged. As I said, a simple cocoa coating is the classic way to finish off a chocolate truffle, but if you are feeling inspired and have a little more time, you can dip the ganache spheres into melted chocolate to form a hard coating (see version II). 12 ozs. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract or other flavoring (Chambord is particularly good, or Kahlua, or Frangelico, or Grand Marnier -- let your imagination run wild!) 1/4 cup cocoa, sifted -- If you have a marble countertop or slab, cover it with a large sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper. If you have no marble surface, cover a cookie sheet or other large metal surface with parchment paper or waxed paper and set aside. In a microwave-proof bowl, heat the chocolate at full power for 1 minute. Stir and heat again at full power in 15-second increments, stirring each time, until fully melted. Remove from microwave and set aside. -- In a small, uncovered saucepan, heat cream to boiling, stirring constantly. When it foams up almost to the top of the pan, turn the heat down to medium-high, still stirring constantly. Boil the cream uncovered until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes (when the spoon begins to reveal the bottom of the pan as you stir, you'll be done). Remove from heat and continue stirring for a minute or two to allow it to cool down somewhat. -- Whisk the vanilla extract into the cream until no streaks remain and run the chocolate through the microwave for another 15 seconds. Stir again to make sure it is completely melted. Combine cream mixture and chocolate, mixing rapidly until very smooth and no streaks remain (at first, it looks speckled and seems as though it won't combine, but be patient -- it will). What you have now is called chocolate ganache. -- Pour the ganache into a small square pan and put it in the fridge until it is very firm, 30 to 60 minutes. Remove from fridge. -- The next step is very messy, so wear an apron. Put the cocoa into a deep, narrow bowl. Scoop out small portions of the ganache and roll them briefly between your palms to make them roughly spherical and about 1" in diameter. -- Roll the balls around in the cocoa until they are completely covered. Place the balls on the cookie sheet. Repeat until all the ganache is used up. Allow truffles to sit out, uncovered, on cookie sheet for a couple of hours. -- After an hour or two, you may want to briefly roll each truffle in cocoa again if the ganache has absorbed too much of the cocoa covering. To coat the truffles with chocolate instead of cocoa, you should again choose the best chocolate you can afford. Follow the directions for version I of the Chocolate Truffles, but skip the final three steps. Instead, proceed to either of the two following options. Chocolate Truffles, Version II 12 ozs. chocolate, coarsely chopped 3/4 stick (3 ozs.) unsalted butter -- In a large, microwave-proof bowl, heat the chocolate and butter on high power for 1 minute. Stir and heat again in 15-second increments, stirring in between each increment, until mixture is fully melted and no streaks remain. -- Drop ganache balls into chocolate, one at a time, removing carefully with a fork. Transfer truffles to prepared cookie sheet and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours for coating to harden. Chocolate Truffles, Version III To coat the truffles with tempered chocolate instead of cocoa or the Version II not-quite-authentic coating, you should again choose the best chocolate you can afford. Follow the directions for version I of the Chocolate Truffles, but skip the final three steps. Then proceed as directed below. 1 lb. chocolate, coarsely chopped A candy thermometer -- In a large, microwave-proof bowl, heat the chocolate on high power for 1 minute. Stir and heat again in 15-second increments, stirring in between each increment, until mixture is about 2/3 melted and still shows a number of chocolate lumps remaining. You do not want to melt the chocolate completely; if you do, stir in some extra smallish chunks to cool down what's already melted. -- After a couple of minutes of stirring, insert the candy thermometer in the middle of the chocolate (without touching the bottom of the bowl, which may be hotter than the contents). You want the final temperature of the chocolate to be as listed below. If you're not there yet, continue stirring. Test the temperature every minute or two. (What you're doing here is called tempering, and it's essentially making sure that the chocolate melts in a manner that will keep it glossy and streak-free once it's cooled.) Temperatures for properly tempered chocolate: Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate: 88° F. to 91° F. (31.1° C. to 32.7° C.) Milk chocolate or white chocolate: 84° F. to 87° F. (28.9° C. to 30.5° C.) -- Drop ganache balls into the melted chocolate, one at a time, removing carefully with a fork. Transfer truffles to prepared cookie sheet and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours. If you want to get super-fancy and have absolutely nothing better to do, melt some white chocolate and drizzle it lightly over the finished truffles for a really striking look. Storage Store any version of these truffles in a cool, dark place (not the icebox) in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. OTHER ODDS AND ENDS Catherine S. Vodrey is available for freelance writing, editing, fundraising/development, and photography projects at: Post Office Box 835 East Liverpool, Ohio 43920 USA E-MAIL: WordBanquet@gmail.com Thank you for visiting www.WordBanquet.com!