Chocolate truffles (named after the earthy, dirt-covered fungus that they resemble) are a wonderful and luxurious way to treat someone special (including yourself). With these instructions, you can make them in the comfort of your kitchen and enjoy the fresh, rich flavor of homemade chocolate truffles.

[edit] Ingredients

250 g - 8 3/4 oz dark chocolate (see Tips)
150 g - 5 1/2 fl oz cream
40 g - 1 1/4 oz salted butter
75 g - 2 3/4 oz dark cocoa powder
2 Tbsp water
1 Litre - 2 1/8 pt water

[edit] Steps

Prepare the double boiler (also known as a bain marie). Place a medium cooking pan in a high heat and pour around 1 litre of water. Bring the water to a simmer.
Place the chocolate bar on a chopping board and cut or break it into squares. Usually, following the lines on the chocolate will suffice, unless the bar is divided into very large pieces.
Add 2 tablespoons of water into the pan (to help the chocolate melt--this is optional, as some people believe doing this encourages the chocolate to seize, as described in the Warnings) and then put the chocolate pieces in.
Place the small cooking pan containing the chocolate into the medium one (containing the water). Try to keep the bottom of the small pot from touching the water in the big pot.
Stir constantly as the chocolate melts. This step should take around 8 minutes.
Add the cream gently and combine well to make the ganache. Do not remove the pan from heat; keep it at melting temperature and continue stirring until the cream is completely mixed with the chocolate.
Remove the pan from the heat source and leave it to rest until cool.
Add the butter.
- Bring the water to a simmer again and place the pan containing the ganache on the heat once more.
- Add the butter and stir to fully melt it. When done, turn the heat off and remove the pan.
Pour the ganache into a large bowl using the spatula to remove the rest from the pan. Line the surface of the ganache with plastic wrap (this prevents a film from developing at the surface). Put the bowl in the fridge until the mixture is stiff (about an hour).
Make the truffles.
- Take the bowl from the fridge and place it in the work surface.
- Place the cocoa powder into the medium bowl.
- Use a melon baller, small ice cream scoop, or teaspoon to get small amounts of the ganache.
- Make small balls, rolling them into the palm of your hands as quickly as possible before they melt too much.
- Put them into the bowl with the cocoa powder and roll around until they are coated.
- Place the truffles into a serving bowl or on a tray.

[edit] Tips

You can experiment with different flavors and coatings.
- You can stir in small amounts of flavoring (like liqueur) after the ganache is prepared but before it is cooled in the fridge, and you can coat the truffles in a wide variety of coatings other than cocoa powder such as nuts, cinnamon, powdered sugar and coconut.
- You can boil flavorings into the cream. Get creative using different kinds of tea flavors like chai or earl grey, or instant coffee crystals. You can also boil in jam or add herbs to the cream and then strain it before adding it to the chocolate.
- Another good way to add flavor is to stir it in with the butter, but this only works for flavorings with butter-like consistency, like peanut butter.
To give the truffles a hard, outer coating, you will need to learn how to temper chocolate, which is an advanced technique beyond the scope of this article.
As you're scooping the ganache, work quickly or else the ganache will get too warm and start sticking to the scooping device and your hands, reducing the amount of chocolate that makes it into your truffles. If necessary, make the truffles in batches, putting the bowl back into the fridge to re-chill before starting again.
Use the best chocolate you can find. If you're going to make decadent chocolate truffles, don't skimp by using cheap, ridiculously sweet brands. Cheap baking bars are usually packed with extra sugar and can make for a grainy ganache. Some high quality brands worth trying are: Michel Cluizel, Perugina, Wedel, Domori, Amedei, Valrhona, Neuhaus, Marcolini, Lindt, Felchlin, Guittard, Scharffen Berger, Santander, Malagasy, Weiss, El Rey, Theo, Bonnat, Pralus, Castelain, Slitti, Dagoba, Green and Black's, Schokinag, Calletbaut and Ghirardelli.
Some traditional recipes do not use butter. To try it, follow the steps above, with only a few differences:
- Chop the chocolate into finer pieces, preferably shards.
- Boil the cream before adding it to the chocolate.
The chocolate to cream ratio should always be around 2:1.
Before making your own special truffles, buy some from a gourmet provider. Their packaging shows their ingredients and can inspire you.

[edit] Warnings

Do not expose the chocolate to direct heat. It is very sensitive to heat; that is why the double boiler is used. Most chocolate melts at a temperature which feels warm, not hot, to the touch; if your chocolate feels stiff as you're stirring it, but feels hot, remove it from heat immediately or it will seize.
Do not cover the chocolate as it's being heated. The steam will cause the chocolate to seize, where the chocolate clumps up into an oily mess.
If the chocolate seizes, try adding some liquid (cream, or melted butter) gradually while stirring fervently until the mixture is smooth. At this point, the ganache may or may not be suitable for truffle making; if the ratio of liquid to chocolate is too high, the ganache won't be solid at room temperature. If so, more liquid can be added to the mixture to make it into a rich chocolate syrup. Sometimes, seized chocolate can also be recovered by allowing it to cool, then remelting it with small amounts of chopped chocolate.