No-bake truffles with a spicy kick
Take a break from cookie dough and make your own flavoured truffles for the holidays
Chocolate truffles — the no-bake, two-ingredient treat — are an underrated dessert (and gift) option during the holidays when cookies and cakes reign supreme.
If you are intimidated by working with chocolate, start with these. Making truffles from scratch is an easy undertaking, and customizing flavours will make memorable gifts that can’t be found in stores.
Put a few of each flavour in a little cellophane bag or cardboard boxes from craft stores. Chocolate truffles can be kept up to a month if stored away from direct sunlight at room temperature in an airtight container. Refrigeration isn’t necessary, but if you must (i.e. the heater is going full blast), refrigerate chocolates in an airtight container to prevent moisture from getting in. Before consuming, let the chocolates sit out for 30 minutes to come back to room temperature.
This collection of truffles highlights warm spices associated with the holidays, a nice respite from peppermint. While it might sound odd to add flavours normally associated with savoury dishes to sweet chocolate, they play off each other quite well. Pungent spices such as ginger, cumin and peppercorn cut through the rich, sweet and velvety texture of the chocolate, adding a slightly earthy component that works well with more popular chocolate flavours such as sea salt and chili.
A chocolate truffle is essentially a ball of ganache, a filling of melted chocolate and cream that’s coated in chopped nuts, cocoa powder or a chocolate shell. Ganache is easy to make: melt chocolate in heated cream, mix and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls.
Not all truffles are created equal, however, as dark, milk and white chocolates require different amounts of cream to make the ganache.
Ganache balls can be served as is, but rolling them in a coating — coconut flakes or sprinkles — adds flavour and texture as well as a prettier appearance. It also prevents the ganache from melting in your hands as soon as you pick one up.
Truffles can also be dipped in melted chocolate to get a hard, smooth shell similar to store-bought versions. This requires a technique called tempering, a process of heating and cooling the chocolate to specific temperatures to allow the cocoa fat to solidify at room temperature with a glossy finish. Pick up a digital thermometer to take the guesswork out of getting the chocolate to the right temperature.
For tempering, look for couverture chocolate, which can be found at baking supply stores such as Bulk Barn. It’s a high-quality product that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than baking or regular eating chocolate. This gives the chocolate a glossier sheen and a crisper “snap” when eaten. Chocolate chips, used in cookies, don’t contain enough cocoa butter for tempering (sugar is the first ingredient in a pack of No Namebrand semisweet chocolate chips). If you opt for these, the end result will have a streaky appearance.
Basic Chocolate Ganache for Truffles
For the sake of accuracy, the chocolate is measured in weight because it can be sold as chips and bars of various sizes, depending on the manufacturer.
Makes about 24 truffles
8 ounces chocolate (dark, milk or white)
Spices, if using (see below)
If using dark chocolate, use 1⁄2 cup (125 millilitres) 35 per cent whipping cream
If using milk chocolate, use 5 tablespoons (75 mL) 35 per cent whipping cream
If using white chocolate, use 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) 35 per cent whipping cream
Roughly chop chocolate into small, chip-sized pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, heat cream and spices until the mixture starts to steam. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds to one minute to allow chocolate to begin to melt. Stir, allowing cream to completely melt chocolate and mixture to become smooth. If chocolate does not completely melt, transfer bowl to a double boiler. Over low heat, stir until completely melted.
If ganache appears to separate and a layer of oil forms, add cream one tablespoon at a time and mix vigorously until ganache regains silky texture.
Pour mixture into a shallow pan and refrigerate until firm but still pliable enough to roll into balls, at least one or two hours.
Use a teaspoon-sized measuring spoon to scoop out balls. Working quickly, roll chocolate into balls with hands. Refrigerate for at least an hour before adding coatings or garnishes.
Spice add-ons
Below are my preferred measurements of spices and chocolate matches. Feel free to experiment with different amounts of spices, or try other spices such as cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cumin + dark chocolate + dried mango garnish
2 tsp (10 mL) coarsely ground pink peppercorn + white chocolate + crushed peppercorn garnish
2 1/2 tsp (12 mL) Chinese five spice powder + dark chocolate + dried apricot garnish
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely ground fennel seeds + milk chocolate + sea salt garnish
1/4 cup (60 mL) freshly grated ginger + dark chocolate + crystallized ginger garnish
Tempered chocolate shell
Tempering chocolate requires three stages: melting the chocolate, cooling it and then bringing it back up slightly to its optimal temperature for dipping truffles. If adding garnishes, add them quickly after the truffle is dipped as tempered chocolate hardens in five minutes. Temperatures for dark, milk and white chocolates differ slightly and are outlined below. A double boiler is the fastest way to heat chocolate. Alternately, a microwave can be used in 15-second intervals.
Cooling the melted chocolate can take a while, which is why chocolate makers use a process called “seeding.” Seeding is adding pieces of unmelted chocolate to the bowl of melted chocolate, to lower the temperature more quickly. There isn’t a rule about how much chocolate to set aside for seeding, but a third of whatever is being melted is considered a good amount. Any leftover tempered chocolate can be melted and retempered.
10 ounces chocolate (dark, milk or white), plus more for seeding
Use a double boiler or place a clean, dry heatproof bowl over a pot of water over low heat. Add chocolate and stir frequently. If you are using a bowl, be careful not to let any water to come into contact with chocolate, which will cause the chocolate to seize and turn chunky, rendering it unusable. Heat until chocolate reaches 115 F (46 C) for dark chocolate; 113 F (45 C) for milk chocolate; and 105 F (40 C) for white chocolate. Immediately remove from heat and cool chocolate to 88 F (31 C) for dark chocolate; 83 F (28 C) for milk chocolate; and 80 F (27 C) for white chocolate, stirring in pieces of unmelted chocolate to help lower temperature.
Place bowl back over pot. Turn heat to low. Bring chocolate back up to 88 F (30 C) for dark chocolate; 84 F (29 C) for milk chocolate; and 83 F (28 C) for white chocolate, careful not to let chocolate reach over 91 F (32 C) or chocolate will not set properly.
Remove from heat and quickly dip truffles, swirling with a fork until completely coated. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and immediately add garnishes before chocolate dries. Let shell set at room temperature. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
Karon Liu is the Star’s food writer and is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @karonliu