Chocolate Champagne Truffles - melt in your mouth soft, velvety, decadent, fruity truffles that is easy and less messy to make. Dusted with cocoa powder and gold luster dust. Perfect for celebrations.There is about 8 hours of inactive time for this recipe.
60gsemi-sweet chocolateabout 50-55% cocoa, callets or finely chopped
⅓cupchampagneplease see blog post about choosing the right champagne
2tbspcream
Pinchof salt
1tbspbutter
2tbspSt Germain liqueur or brandyplease see notes
½cupCallebaut cocoa powder OR Dutch cocoa powder
Food grade gold luster dust
Instructions
Butter and line a 6 x 6 inch square pan with parchment paper or wax paper. You can also use a 7 x 7 inch pan or a 9 x 4 inch bread loaf pan as well. Straight sides are preferred, but not required.
Place the chocolate, champagne, cream, and salt in a heat-proof bowl or metal bowl.
Add a few inches of water into a pot and bring the water to a simmer on the stove. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and melt the chocolate with all the ingredients (double boiler method). Stir continuously until you have a smooth mix, with only a few small unmelted pieces of chocolate remaining.
Remove the chocolate from the heat and add the butter and liqueur. Stir until the small pieces of chocolate and butter are completely melted and incorporated into the chocolate mix.
Pour the chocolate mix into the prepared pan.
Cover the pan (to protect the chocolate from fridge odors), and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can place the pan in the freezer for about 4 hours. Make sure to keep the pan in a completely flat position.
When the chocolate has set, gently lift/remove the chocolate from the pan (lift the parchment paper). Using a warm, dry knife cut the truffles into 20 - 25 square pieces. Warm the knife by dipping it in warm water and then wipe it dry, OR use a blow torch to warm the blade. Clean the blade between each cut.
Return the truffles into the freezer for about 10 - 15 minutes to firm up the cut edges. When the chocolate has set, carefully peel off the parchment paper from the bottom. Carefully separate the chocolate truffles along the cut edges.
To Serve (Nama-style chocolate truffles)
Place all the truffles close together on a flat plate or pan. Place the cocoa powder in a small sieve and dust the tops of the truffles with a thin layer of the cocoa powder.
Optional - place about 1/8th of a tsp of gold luster dust in the small sieve and gently tap over the truffles for a light splatter of gold luster dust. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To Serve (second method)
Coat each truffle in the cocoa powder on all sides. Gently shake the excess cocoa powder off the truffles. Repeat with all the truffles.
With half of the truffles - place a cocoa dusted truffle on a small plate. With a dry paint brush, dust off the excess cocoa powder from the surface.
With a clean, dry brush, pick up a little gold luster dust, and apply a thin dusting of gold luster dust on the top of each truffle.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
NOTES - I used St Germain liqueur because the bubbly I used had notes of elderberry. I could have also used a peach liqueur to complement the peach notes in the champagne too. If you’re not sure what to use, St Germain is a good choice, OR you can also use a good quality brandy.