All about the ganache
A classic chocolate truffle is made from ganache, the heavenly amalgam of equal quantities of chocolate and cream. When liquid it makes the most luxurious chocolate sauce, perfect for dunking strawberries, drenching profiteroles or drizzling over ice cream.
When softly set, ganache pipes perfectly onto cakes and gateaux or can be slathered onto any kind of cake with a palate knife.
When firmly set it can be rolled into sublimely decadent truffles. Silken and velvety, these simple confections are incredibly good simply dusted lightly with bitter cocoa, but the addition of flavourings and coatings allows you creative licence to make some truly individual truffles from one base recipe.
Base truffle recipe
Bring 200ml cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g good-quality dark chocolate (I use Whittaker’s 62% dark cacao – not too bitter, not too sweet). Stir continuously until chocolate has completely melted and mixture is silky smooth. Pour ganache into a shallow pan and chill until set – 15 minutes in the freezer should do it.
Use a teaspoon to scrape the mixture into truffle-sized blobs, then roll into balls and place on a foil-lined tray. Chill the truffles again (15 minutes in freezer) before coating. Ganache truffles are delicate so will need to be kept refrigerated until served.
Gingernut truffles
Place ½ cup cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in 125g good-quality dark chocolate, stirring until mixture is completely smooth.
Stir in 1 Tbsp finely chopped crystallised ginger. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the freezer to chill. When the ganache is firm, scoop teaspoonfuls and roll into 12-16 truffle-sized balls with your hands then place on a foil-lined tray. Place tray in the freezer to chill before coating.
Crush or blitz 3 Gingernut biscuits in a processor and place the fine crumbs in a small bowl.
Remove chilled truffles from freezer. Roll a truffle briefly between your palms to polish it (the warmth of your hands will soften the outer layer) then roll it in Gingernut crumbs and return it to the tray. When all the truffles have been coated return tray to freezer to chill, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until required.
Earl Grey and white chocolate truffles
Place ½ cup cream in a small pan with 2 Earl Grey teabags and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and steep for 5-7 minutes. Squeeze the tea bags over the cream then discard them.
Reheat cream and, when simmering, remove from heat and stir in 125g good-quality white chocolate (not cooking chocolate). Stir continuously until completely smooth. Pour into a shallow bowl and place in the freezer to chill.
When mixture is firm, scoop teaspoonfuls and roll into truffle-sized balls with your hands then place on a foil-lined tray. Place tray in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill truffles before coating.
To coat: melt 75g good-quality white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. When liquid, use a fork or dipping tool to dip each truffle quickly in the melted chocolate, tapping the fork on the side of the bowl to shake off excess. (If the chocolate is too thick for coating add 1 tsp Kremelta to thin it.) Place coated truffles back on tray to set. Once set, store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.
Creative ideas for truffles
Channel your inner chocolatier by adding texture and flavouring.
Flavour
Add flavour as the cream is heating or stir into the cooling ganache.
- Oragne zest
- Cointreau, amaretto or other liqueur
- Cardamom pods
- Espresso powder
Textured filling
For a little crunch, fold finely chopped praline or nougat or nuts etc into the warm ganache – it needs to be something that won’t melt.
- Chopped nougat or praline
- Crushed hokey pokey
- Roasted chopped nuts
- Crumbled candy cane
Coating
After chilling truffles for about 15 minutes in the freezer, briefly roll in your hands to warm the surface then roll in the coating of your choice
- Crushed pistachios or toasted almonds
- Cocoa or icing sugar
- Biscuit crumbs
- Coconut or cacao nibs
Photography by: Alamy, Bauer Syndication, Getty Images.
