Thursday, December 13, 2007

Dark Chocolate Brandy Truffles


A slight variation on the classic...these are decadent and delicious. Messy to make, but very easy. I made these for my co-workers for a small holiday gift.

Work is fantastic...a lot of new projects and people and events after work, so cooking is still on the back burner, but with the holiday season upon us, I should have some downtime soon.

Happy Holidays!

Dark Chocolate Brandy Truffles:
(makes about 6 dozen, can be halved)

18 oz high-quality dark (semi-sweet if you prefer) chocolate, separated into thirds
2 c heavy cream
2 tbs brandy
1 tsp high-quality vanilla extract
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder, mixed with 2 tbs (or to taste) powdered sugar

Directions:
Melt 2/3 of the chocolate over a double boiler, remove from heat. Meanwhile scald cream with brandy and vanilla. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Stir the remaining 1/3 chocolate into the melted chocolate until all chocolate is melted. Stir in warm cream. Once incorporated, refrigerate for an hour or two until firm. If you leave the mixture in the refrigerator longer, you may need to let stand before making truffles.

To make truffles, scoop out a teaspoon of the mixture, gently roll in the palms of your hands (wear gloves if the stickiness bothers you), then roll in cocoa/powdered sugar mixture, then lay on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Refrigerate truffles for an hour or so until firm, then wrap in foil wrappers (available at craft stores) or squares of aluminum foil or plastic. Keep refrigerated, then let stand at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

12 comments:

Chris said...

I will have to try these. I never have much luck truffles that are the real - heavy cream kind. Hmmm...thinking...:)

Cakespy said...

Wow. Those look simply gorgeous...I wouldn't mind having that dusting all over my face after devouring a bunch of these!

Kristen - Dine & Dish said...

Oh yum! What a great gift. Where did you get the cool wrappers?

Kirsten said...

I got the foil wrappers at Michaels...50 for $2.99 or something like that. It makes them look somewhat more professional. :)

Greg said...

Your truffles look amazing. I tried to make these this weekend. Mine were way too soft. I chilled them for about 5 hours in the fridge and they still could not be rolled. I ended up scooping with a spoon into chocolate nuggets and dropping them in the cocoa. If I keep them in the fridge they are barely stiff enough to eat. I can't put them out or they will get too soft to pick up with your fingers. I wonder if I had too much cream. They taste fantastic though! I'll have to give it another go reducing the amount of cream. I used a tbsp of brandy and a tbsp of frangelico. I love the hazelnut flavor.

Unknown said...

Wow - So impressive! I'll have to add these to me repertoire :) Glad to hear the job is going well. When things settle down from the holidays we'll have to get together with Mo and catch up!

Farmgirl Cyn said...

Oh yeah. That is my idea of decadence. Chocolate and brandy. Coming right up.
Thanks, ands a most blessed Christmas to you!

Mo said...

Chocolate and booze - how can you go wrong?
What a lovely gift!

Kirsten said...

Thanks all for the comments! I finally ate all the leftovers, these may be a repeat at Valentine's Day - maybe Chambord instead of Brandy?

Unknown said...

I was able to easily roll them outdoors on a 46 degree (Fahrenheit) day. I used gloves and dropped rolls into a 9 x 13 cake pan lined with the dusting powder. Gentle shaking of the cake pan allowed me to coat 8-10 rolls at a time and I could keep my gloves on the whole while without getting powder mixed in with the chocolate truffle.

ashley said...

I wish I would have read the comments first. The recipe, as written, does not make a ganache fit for truffles without coverture. It would make a wonderful glaze for a cake, but they simply cannot be rolled, even after hours and hours in the freezer. I'm going to attempt to salvage all this chocolate, somehow. I've already tried adding more chocolate, and it still doesn't work...

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