I admit: I cheated this week. The column is called "Baking with Brenna," but an oven does not make an appearance in this recipe. However, this week's delicious treat — homemade chocolate truffles — is well worth forsaking the oven for the stove and the fridge. Frankly, some people don't like baking, but everyone loves chocolate, so I felt it my duty to deliver a treat even the oven-wary among us could enjoy.
Chocolate truffles, essentially chocolate ganache covered with various toppings, are the kind of confections you see in fancy candy stores, not what you usually make at home. However, they are surprisingly easy and fun to make and even more fun to share.
Even though they're simple, they're still special. So, make a homemade batch as a delicious birthday surprise for a friend or for the Oscar party you'll attend to this weekend.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz chocolate chopped
Tip: The recipe I used called for dark chocolate, but you can use your favorite kind or even mix it up and make a batch with two kinds!
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Various coatings
Tip: Get creative here. I used cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chopped walnuts, and chopped Reese's candies. You can also use shredded coconut, other chopped candies or your favorite kind of nut.
Instructions:
1. On the stove, heat heavy cream and butter over medium heat until they mix and come to a boil.
2. Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour of the cream/butter mixture over it.
3. Let the mixture sit for about two minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Stir slowly to incorporate, making sure to avoid mixing in too much air.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least three hours.
Tip: As a time saver, since you have three hours to kill, prepare your toppings while the chocolate is chilling. Place your truffle toppings on separate sections of a large plate or in separate small bowls if you're concerned about mixing them.
5. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator. Using a small spoon or your hands, form small balls out of the mixture and roll each ball in a topping.
6. Eat immediately or place the truffles in a container or on a tray lined with parchment paper or foil and return to the fridge.
Serving tips:
- Don't let the truffles sit out too long at room temperature when you're serving them. They'll get soft and become hard to pick up without falling apart.
- The truffles are very good right out of the fridge or slightly below room temp.
Truffles look and taste delicious. They are far too easy to make to justify the prices you'll pay for them elsewhere. So the next time you're having a girls' night in or want something fun to do for a date, try making these. The downtime leaves plenty of time to pop in a movie or to play a board game before adding your toppings, and the pay off at the end will leave you feeling like a master confectioner (with quite the happy stomach to go along with it).
Contact Brenna Williams at bwillia9@nd.edu
