Classic Chocolate Truffles

The film Chocolat by Jesse Hallstrom inspired me to explore the world of Chocolates. The way Vianne Rocher would whip up her chocolate concoctions was pure magic. So it was no wonder that right after watching the movie, I was craving for chocolate treats.

These truffles were among the first chocolate desserts that I learned to make. Having no oven back then, this was rather very much easy because it does not require baking. I searched different sites online to look for the “best” truffle recipe but I have noticed that they were almost the same. The main difference was the choclate-butter-cream ratios. As fate would have it, as I was watching the Martha Stewart  show, she featured how to make the “best truffles”. So it was her recipe that I got my inspiration from.

There were a few misses with the recipe that I followed though. For me, I find the ganache too soft, thus it was difficult to roll the truffles. I also ommited the part where i run the truffles into a thin layer of melted chocolate. For some strange reason, I could not succeed in this particular step. So after a couple of ratio experiments, I found my perfect ratio and discovered a step (by accident) which results into a soft and chewy ganache.

I get my chocolates from Baker’s Depot. For me, they have the best selection of inexpensive chocolates compared to Cook’s Exchange and Chocolate lovers.

Baker’s Depot offers a selection of inexpensive chocolate blocks. This particular variety costs P150 per kilo.

Ingredients:

• 750 grams Bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling

Directions:

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and place into a large heatproof bowl.
   

   Chopping the chocolate into small, even pieces will make the melting process quicker and a smoother ganache.

2. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat
3. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir in butter, if desired.
4. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand for around 10 minutes.
5. Stir until smooth and let stand to cool.
   
   
6. Transfer chocolate mixture into a shallow 8-inch dish or pie plate then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until mixture is very cold and set but still pliable, about an hour or so. But if you have the patience, it is best to refrigerate overnight.
7. Using a teaspoon, scoop balls of chocolate mixture, roll into 1/2 to 3/4 inch balls and place in a shallow dish. Refrigerate for 10-30 minutes.
8. Roll each truffle in cocoa powder to coat, then quickly shape truffle into a rough round. Put truffles in an airtight container and keep in the freezer until ready to serve. If the cocoa has been absorbed by the truffle, you may roll each truffle in cocoa powder again if desired. Do not worry, these truffles would not freeze hard, what you’ll have is a soft and chewy truffle.

Enjoy making your truffles and feel free to experiment with flavors. Others go crazy like adding cinnamon and chili powder to the ganache. You are only limited by your imagination and appetite for good food. I have a variety of this truffle that I call “Midnight Crunch”. I’ll probably share that recipe soon

Whoever labeled chocolates as sinful and unhealthy must have been crazy. Actually, healthy intake of chocolate has its benefits. These benefits are from flavonoids which act as antioxidants. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide and balance certain hormones in the body.

Dark chocolate is the healthiest variety of chocolate. A small bar of it everydaykeeps your heart and cardiovascular system running well. It has also been proven that dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Chocolate also holds benefits apart from protecting your heart:

• it tastes good
• it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure
• it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant
• it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants

As yummy and tempting as it is to finish dozens of these truffles in one sitting, this doesn’t mean that you should eat a pound of chocolate a day. Chocolate is still a high-calorie, high-fat food. Most of the studies done used no more than 100 grams, or about 3.5 ounces, of dark chocolate a day to get the benefits. One bar of dark chocolate has around 400 calories.  For more healthy info about this sweet treat, visit this site.

Have a yummy and chocolatey day.

 

Enjoy!

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