Dark Chocolate Truffles

I have always wanted to make chocolate truffles and decided this Christmas I was going to tackle what I thought was going to be a task. Yes, making the balls are a bit finicky, but once I got the hang of it, I was on a roll.   My love for dark chocolate fueled the desire to search for a perfect and easy recipe. Chocolate truffles are a French invention and the original was a ball of ganache, often flavored and rolled in cocoa. According to The Nibble, the chocolate truffle was created in the kitchen of French culinary giant Auguste Escoffier during the 1920’s. Escoffier’s apprentice accidentally poured hot cream into a bowl of chocolate chunks rather than the bowl of sugared egg. As the chocolate and cream mixture hardened, Escoffier found he could work the chocolate paste with his hands to form a bumpy, lopsided ball. After rolling the new creation in cocoa powder, he was struck by their resemblance to the luxurious truffles from the French Périgord region and the Piedmont area of Italy.

The health benefits provided by chocolate are a result of the flavonoid content found in the cocoa bean. Flavonoids are natural compounds with antioxidant properties – the same compounds that give berries, red wine and green tea their health benefits. But be aware, the more processed chocolate becomes, the less the flavonoids are retained.  Read the list of ingredients and choose bars that list cocoa solids or cocoa mass first, not sugar. Dark chocolate has the most flavonoids, almost four times as many as milk chocolate, while white chocolate has none.

Makes about 30 truffles
recipe adapted from Ghirardelli
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1/3 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups 60% or 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (such as Ghirardelli or Lindt)
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Disaronno Amaretto (optional)
1/3 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened Cocoa

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl. Cool, cover, and refrigerate the mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.

Using a melon baller or small spoon, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cocoa. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: You can also use icing sugar as I did or roll the truffles in coconut flakes, crushed nuts, or dip in white or dark chocolate for added decadence. My favorite chocolate company is Lindt and for this recipe I chose their 70% cacao dark chocolate.  Delicious!