Chocolate Truffles: much easier than you think

I've been cooking quite a lot lately. Whilst I am being good myself steering away from all of the bad foods I still enjoying making these items and witnessing the enjoyment that others get from them. One place where I really get to see other people enjoying my cooking is at work. It seems that I am making something rather delicious for my team just about every week so I thought I might as well start sharing some of these cooking experiences with you. Below is my recipe for chocolate truffles. They are so simple, but taste so very good. I start off with a basic ganache recipe that can be tweaked to make any variety of truffle you like. I must warn you that these truffles are particularly popular with the ladies and tend to lead to marriage proposals whenever I make them. They really are quite good and you certainly don't need to be a whizz in the kitchen to give them a go.

BASIC GANACHE RECIPE: Makes about 50 truffles
I choose to use a mix of dark and milk chocolate, but you could use all dark chocolate if you prefer. I feel this mix gives a milder, creamier result.

250g good quality dark Belgian chocolate
250g good quality milk Belgian chocolate
Approx 400ml Pure/ Double Cream (45% fat content)

Break up the chocolate pieces and put into a stainless steel or glass bowl over a double boiler on a medium heat. When partially melted add in the cream and constantly mix until smooth. Chill in fridge until set to a malluable texture (about an hour or 2).
=================================================================================

MAKING THE TRUFFLES:

Here are a few ideas for some truffles you may like to try.

CLASSIC: For the classic variety simply use the basic ganache mixture. Roll the set mixture into balls and dust with some fine cocoa.

MACADAMIA: For the macadmia variety I add a nip of Frangelico to the ganache mixture along with some finely diced macadamia nuts and finish them by rolling in crushed macadamias.

JAFFA: For the jaffa variety finely grate some orange zest and add it to the basic ganache mixture. To spice it up I also add a nip of Cointreau. I choose to finish these by rolling in flaked dark chocolate.

CARRIBEAN: For the carribean variety I add in a nip of Malibu and some soft flaked coconut to the basic ganche mixture and roll the balls in flaked coconut.



The truffles really are that easy to make. Just have a little bit of patience and you can make these delicious little treats with very little time or effort. So give them a go and let me know if they are a success. This recipe also works just as well if making a half/ reduced quantity. Simply adjust the measures.