These easy chocolate truffles are the most deliciously creamy and smooth truffles you'll ever taste! They are a perfect bite-sized treat for the holidays and special occasions. Learn all the ways to make this classic chocolate confection from the easiest version to the more advanced. EASY - Very easy. Great to make with kids as well. INTERMEDIATE - If you choose to coat these truffles with chocolate, that would involve tempering chocolate. This is a more advanced technique for beginners, but still do-able. See recipe notes on how to make this process easier. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate and consistent results.There is a chill time in the recipe that can be as little as 4 hours or as long as 24 hours.
360gcouverture chocolate12.7 oz (50% - 70% cocoa content)
210gheavy cream¾ cup + 2 tbsp
½tspsea salt
10mLvanilla extract2 tsp
57gunsalted butter4 tbsp (softened)
To coat (use as much or as little of the following ingredients as you prefer)
Cocoa powderI use extra brute Callebaut cocoa powder
Sprinklesany kind
Chopped nuts
Desiccated coconutfinely shredded
Finely shaved chocolate
To temper (optional)
300gsemisweet couverture chocolate10.6 oz (you can also use chocolate candy melts instead - see recipe notes below)
Instructions
Chocolate truffle base (chocolate ganache)
Make sure the chocolate is chopped into fairly small pieces, especially if you’re using a chocolate block. Then place the chopped chocolate in a clean, dry bowl.
360 g couverture chocolate
Heat the cream and salt together in a small saucepan, until the cream starts to simmer. Do not let it boil!
210 g heavy cream, ½ tsp sea salt
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, and cover, and let it sit for about 1 minute.
Add vanilla, and use a whisk to stir the ganache mixture until emulsified (smooth). Only mix until the ganache is smooth and mixed through. Halfway through stirring, add the softened butter and stir to combine. Do not continue to whisk or stir after the ganache comes together.
10 mL vanilla extract, 57 g unsalted butter
The final temperature of the ganache should be between 80℉ - 85℉. The ganache should be shiny and smooth.
Cover the surface with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is in contact with the whole surface of the chocolate ganache. This is to prevent a skin from forming on top.
Allow the chocolate ganache to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours until set. The cooling process will be faster if you transfer the ganache into a large, flat dish.
Once the ganache is set, it’s ready to be shaped into truffles.
Shaping the truffles
Use a small cookie scoop (#60, 2 tsp volume) to portion the ganache mixture. You can also use a regular spoon or melon baller instead. If the ganache is too firm to roll up, let it soften slightly at room temperature. Do not heat the ganache.
Place each portion on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once the ganache is portioned, roll each portion into a smooth ball between your palms. Do this quickly as the chocolate will melt in your hands. Use gloves if you prefer.
Once shaped, the truffles are ready to be coated. However, if the truffles are too soft, put them back in the fridge to let them harden just a little bit.
Coating the truffles (not with tempered chocolate)
Simply roll each truffle in the coating of your choice.
Lighter coatings like cocoa powder will stick to the truffles much better. If you’re using coatings that are slightly larger, then you may need to press the coating into the truffle to get better coverage.
Once the truffles are coated, they are ready to be served.
Maintain the tempered chocolate temperature while coating the truffles to prevent the chocolate from thickening too much and losing the temper. A warm water bath can be used, but be careful not to introduce water into the tempered chocolate.
Wearing gloves for this process will prevent this from being too messy and it’s also more sanitary. Or you can also use a clean, dry surface instead of your palms.
Take a small amount of the tempered chocolate into your palm, and then place a truffle on top. Roll the truffle on your palm so that it's evenly coated with the tempered chocolate. Place the coated truffle on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all of the truffles.
Once the chocolate coating is set, do a second coating of tempered chocolate on the truffles.
Allow the second coating to set.
OPTIONAL - Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle sea salt or any other chopped garnish on top.
The chocolate truffles are now ready to be served.
Notes
Notes on using candy melts
Instead of couverture chocolate, you can use chocolate candy melts to coat your truffles. Candy melts do not require tempering, so they are easier to handle. They do not have the same "snap" as couverture chocolate, but they are still a great option.
Notes on dairy free / vegan truffles
If you want to make dairy free chocolate truffles, replace the heavy cream with coconut cream, and the butter with vegan butter (which is solid in the fridge, and not spreadable, i.e. not margarine). The ganache might be a little softer because of the lower fat content.Most bittersweet chocolate is naturally dairy free, so you can use that. You can also use vegan chocolates that are now available at specialty baking stores, like Callebaut NXT or Valrhona Amatika.To compensate for the bitterness of bittersweet chocolate, replace 3 - 4 tbsp of the coconut cream with corn syrup / golden syrup, or honey.
Grainy ganache fix
If the ganache was heated too much and has turned grainy, follow these steps. Add a little bit of chopped chocolate to the ganache (up to 1% of the initial weight). Allow the chocolate to melt in the ganache. Do not stir. Wait until the ganache cools down to about 82 - 85℉, and then mix the ganache with a stick blender. Find the point at which the stick blender creates the most suction, and continue to blend. Within a few minutes the ganache should change into a smooth silky ganache. Please see notes and pictures in the post that explain this in detail.Alternatively, add an egg yolk and blend with a stick blender when the ganache is between 80 - 90℉. You can also add a little softened butter or heavy cream and mix it in to re-emulsify the ganache.