Thick ganache for truffles

Yield; about 2 cups, or around 40 x 1 inch truffles

This thick ganache is meant for rolled truffles, and must be chilled before it can be shaped. Once the ganache is firm, it can either be piped into little mounds or scooped it into little blobs, then hand-rolled into round truffles. Once rolled, the truffles must be chilled completely before coating. You can coat your truffles simply by dusting the in cocoa powder or other ground cookies and nuts. If you do so, they need to live in the refrigerator. For truffles that can be served at room temperature dip them in tempered chocolate. (link) This ganache works best when it’s is left to at a cool room temperature for 12 hours to allows the cocoa butter in the chocolate to fully crystalize before it’s piped or scooped.

To flavor your truffles, the cream can be infused with all sorts of things before you mix it with the chocolate, like cinnamon, earl grey tea, or orange zest.  Replacing a teaspoon or two of cream with liquor doesn’t hurt either, like grand mariner or calvados.

300g chocolate 64%

200g cream

1. Chop the chocolate finely, no larger than the size of an m&m. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set it aside on the counter.
2. Place the cream in a small pot and cook over medium high heat until the cream comes to a boil. Remove the pot from heat and let the cream sit for a minute, until it drops in temperature below 190°F.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes, use a rubber spatula to gently begin stirring the cream and melted chocolate together. Make small circles at first, until you have visual confirmation that the chocolate and cream have combined evenly, then you can increase the breadth of your stirring.
5. Once the ganache is smooth and even, pour it into an 8 by 10 inch cake pan and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ganache. Find a cool place in your home, and let the ganache sit undisturbed for 12 hours to let the cocoa butter fully crystalize.
6. After the ganache has crystalized, transfer it to a piping bag. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and pipe the ganache into 1 inch mounds. Alternately, you can use a small scooper to scoop each truffle out. Or if either of those are not an option, drop the mounds with a teaspoon.
7. Place the piped ganache in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then begin rolling each truffle individually. If the unrolled ganache mounds soften too much sitting on the counter, place the tray in the refrigerator to help them harden again. Place the rolled truffles on a seperate sheet pan lined with parchment paper and chill the truffles for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
8. Now, wash your hands, and use a hot rag to wipe off any chocolate that escaped the bowl and found it’s way everywhere. Take a deep breath and wonder if any of your friends will appreciate how much time it took you to make these. Then eye the cocoa powder, and ponder the value in the extra effort of tempering to cover your truffles. If you are going to temper the chocolate to dip your truffles, you can begin any time you are ready. The truffles are happy waiting in the refrigerator for a few hours until you’re motivated.
9. Once the truffles are firm, roll them in cocoa powder, cookie crumbs, nuts, or dip them in tempered chocolate. Store the cocoa powder truffles in the refrigerator, and the tempered chocolate coated truffles at room temperature, in a cool place. Consume these truffles within 1 week of making them.