CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

THE PERFECT TRUFFLE IS A BALANCED amalgam of texture and flavor that produces the ultimate chocolate experience. The predominant flavor should be chocolate, with other ingredients added only as enhancers. The texture should be sensuously creamy and light, despite its richness. The chocolate coating should be thin and delicate, just thick enough to keep the creamy center from losing its shape.

Truffle centers are made from a mixture of cream and chocolate called ganache. Many ganache recipes call for pouring hot cream into a bowl with chopped chocolate, but some chocolate may not melt with this method, giving the filling a grainy texture. We find that melting the chocolate, either in the microwave or in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, and then combining it with warm cream is more reliable.

In addition to chocolate and cream, we found that adding a little butter improved the texture of the ganache because its melting temperature is lower than that of chocolate and hence the mouth feel of the truffles is improved. However, too much butter will make the ganache dense and heavy tasting, so limit butter to 2 ounces per pound of chocolate.

A little corn syrup boosts the sweetness of the truffles and makes the filling even more smooth. Again, too much corn syrup should be avoided because it can cause gumminess.

The other major challenge in preparing truffles is the chocolate shell. Tempering chocolate is very complicated and dipping, unless done by a professional, usually results in a thick coating. We prefer to dip our hands right into the melted chocolate and then roll the truffle centers in our hands to give them a light coating. The truffles are then rolled in cocoa powder, which hides any imperfections.