This week we’re heading back to chocolate land! I decided to make some very fancy, artisan chocolates this week. I can call them artisan because I made them with my hands, right? This week it’s time for truffles. Since we are only in week four of Candy Challenge 2011, I decided to start with a simple chocolate truffle. Get the basics first, then try to launch myself into a wide array of truffle flavors rivaling that of See’s candies.
Here is what I have learned in making this first set of chocolate truffles…
1. Chocolate truffles are basically balls of hardened buttercream frosting. Delicious, yes. Healthy, no.
2. If you want to flavor dark chocolate truffles, you have to use some powerful flavors. (these were supposed to be orange truffles, the flavor was masked by the chocolate)
3. Do not make truffles on a warm day. In fact, you have a friend with a really cold apartment/kitchen. Go there. Bond over making truffles.
4. You will be covered in chocolate, invest in an apron. Not a cute one with ruffles, a black one. Reserve the cute on for less dirty tasks.
5. Rolling truffles in straight cocoa powder, following the recipe directions, will lead to a bitter outside, contrasting starkly with the sweet truffle. This might be a good thing in your opinion, I got mixed reviews from my taste testers. Although all of the truffles were eaten at the end of the day.
There we are, truffles are a little finicky and they took a full evening to make. However, if you are looking for a shot of chocolate in the afternoon, these will not let you down. They are rich and creamy (because they are made out of chocolate and butter). Be prepared for more truffles in the coming year, I’ve got some flavor combinations that are itching to be made!
What’s your favorite truffle flavor? Mine is Key Lime, yum.
