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Chocolate truffles are ganache in its simplest form. Truffle candies imitate Perigord truffles covered with earth. The goal is to make them small so they look like their namesakes, freshly dug from the earth.
Truffles are small balls of ganache, not golf-ball or egg-sized, which become the centers -- silky smooth, light and creamy -- and then are coated with tempered chocolate, which gives it its crisp outside.
After truffles have been dipped in chocolate, they must "set" one or two minutes before they can be optionally rolled in cocoa powder, powdered sugar or chopped nuts or left as is and optionally drizzled with tempered chocolate over its top. But once the chocolate is firmly set, additional decoration cannot be added unless you want to start over again by re-dipping in chocolate.
Classic French-style truffles are usually small, irregularly-shaped spheres of a dark chocolate ganache, dipped into melted dark chocolate, then dusted with cocoa powder.
Make a batch of "truffle" ganache. After making, press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and place it in the refrigerator or let sit for an hour if the room is cool. The plastic wrap prevents a skin from forming. After about 15 - 30 minutes, remove the chilled and firm ganache from the refrigerator.
Make sure the ganache is very firm so it can be easily formed. Make the shapes no more than 3/4- to 1-inch wide in diameter or length and width because the ganache is so rich.
SARAH SAYS: I recommend that the ganache center be at room temperature before coating with warm tempered chocolate. Otherwise the chocolate will stiffen in the bowl from the cold and/or will crack when hardened.
TRUFFLE CENTER SUGGESTIONS
Ganache: Primarily used when making truffles. It is a mixture of heavy cream and chocolate. It can be flavored with liqueurs.
Gianduja: a sweet chocolate or milk chocolate combined with hazelnut paste. It can be bought ready-made, but may also be made by mixing chocolate, butter and praline paste, which can be homemade or store bought.
Nougatine: Caramel mixed with sliced or chopped almonds. It can be rolled out to a thin sheet on buttered marble, cut into shapes and then dipped in tempered chocolate for a simple and crunchy confection.
Marzipan: It may be further flavored, formed or cut into uniform shapes, then dipped in tempered chocolate.
PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
