Melt 12 oz chocolate in a double boiler with 2 T unsalted butter. Remove from heat. Stir until smooth and let cool slightly. Pour 3/4 c heavy cream into a bowl. Pour a small amount of the chocolate into the cream and stir until blended. Pour the cream-chocolate mixture back into the rest of the chocolate and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Now you have a basic truffle ganache.
Variations:
If you wish to make liqueur truffles, substitute 2 T of the liqueur (triple sec, chambord, frangelico, amaretto, grand marnier, limoncello) for 2 T of the cream when making the ganache.
For mocha truffles, heat up the cream before you begin, add a couple of scoops of coffee grounds, let steep at least 5 minutes, and then strain through a filter.
For nut truffles, add finely-chopped almonds or hazelnuts to the ganache as a final step before chilling.
What I do is to use three small bowls, pour 1/4 cup cream into each, and make three different flavors.
Next step:
Refrigerate until the ganache is firm, but workable. If it sets too much, let it sit out at room temperature for a few minutes. It's better for it to be just a little too firm when you get started, because you're going to shape it with your hands, and body heat will begin to melt it as you work.
Shape ganache into balls, maybe a teaspoon each. They should be larger than regular marbles but smaller than shooters. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate or freeze for a couple of hours.
Finishing:
You can roll them in either cocoa powder or ground nuts if you wish, which is easy and not as liable to cause you to cry and/or swear.
Or you can dip them, which is fun if you're good at it. I'm not, but I do it anyway.
Melt 8 oz chocolate with 2 T butter in a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Spread wax paper over a board. Dip the truffles quickly, drain excess, set on the paper, and repeat. By the time you have dipped the last one, they should be semi-set. At this point, you can add decoration if you choose (which helps if you made more than one kind): a whole coffee bean for mocha, a tiny colored sugar star, a drizzle of white chocolate, etc.
Refrigerate another hour
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
