It's just chocolate, butter and cream, rolled up in a ball — what's not to love?
The truffle is the simplest and chicest of confections, a bite-sized flavor bomb with just a touch of rustic charm. (The name reputedly derives from the Latin term for "lump.") In my life I have gladly braved cocoa dust down my front to enjoy them at every opportunity, but spending a few weeks here in Switzerland has given me an entirely new appreciation for them.
Earlier this month, I took a memorable champagne truffle making class at the mother ship itself, the Lindt Home of Chocolate. While doing coursework in Basel, I have been confronted daily and uncomplainingly with chocolate miniatures in our seminar rooms. Pro tip: a truffle or two melted into your morning oatmeal is an acceptable — and I like to think European — way to start your day.
But for all my unrestrained enthusiasm these days for the pride of Switzerland, I sometimes crave a slightly more bespoke experience. The individually wrapped truffles my classmates and I can consume by the bagful feature a hard chocolate shell for neatness and ease. And the most sublime of truffles, in my opinion, don't crack when you bite into them. They're just a pure, exquisite squish. No disrespect, but I think those kinds are even better than the Lindt version.
Making spectacular looking and tasting truffles at home requires just a handful of ingredients and barely any technique. You just need a bit of patience, a tolerance for getting your hands messy and the best tasting chocolate you love. It doesn't have to be expensive — Tasting Table ranks Lindt tops among chocolate brands and you can probably pick some up at your checkout aisle next to the gum. (I also always keep Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips on hand.)
For inspiration here, I've relied on the ever brilliant Nagi Maehashi's Recipe Tin Eats version, tweaking the proportions slightly so you don't need to measure your chocolate. Maehashi also calls for a longer chilling time for her ganache, but I find mine firms up just fine in about an hour. Powdered sugar and cocoa are traditional coatings, but feel free to creative. In the past, I've made truffles rolled in crushed potato chips and they vanished as quickly as I set them out. Consider it a little American spin on a European classic.
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Inspired by Lindt Home of Chocolate and Recipe Tin Eats
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