Anna Olson Makes Chocolate Elderflower Truffles! | Baking Wisdom

Recipe below – follow along! Chocolate truffles are iconic chocolate confections. Whereas bonbons have a molded shell into which you pipe a filling (of just about any flavour) before allowing them to set, truffles are pieces of ganache that are shaped and then dipped in tempered chocolate. When you bite into that thin outer shell, the chocolate ganache centre should melt away on the tip of your tongue…heavenly.

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• Recipe Information •

Makes about 2½ dozen truffles
Prep Time: 1 hour, plus setting and chilling
Cook Time: Under 5 minutes

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• Ingredients •

Ganache:
7 oz (210 g) dark baking/couverture chocolate, chopped
6 Tbsp (90 mL) whipping cream
2 Tbsp (25 g) glucose syrup
2 Tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp (30 mL) elderflower liqueur (St-Germain)

Truffle assembly:
9 oz (270 g) tempered dark baking/couverture chocolate (see below)
Cocoa powder or icing sugar, for rolling

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• Directions •

1. Make the chocolate ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a metal bowl. Bring the cream and glucose syrup to a full simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring in the syrup to dissolve it. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir (not whisk) gently until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth. Transfer to a pie plate and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Let the ganache cool to room temperature (this can take 30 minutes to an hour).

2. Work in the butter. Beat the butter in a bowl to soften it. Add a few tablespoons of the cooled ganache and stir to combine. Add the remaining ganache and the elderflower liqueur and stir well to combine. Gently stir for a minute to help crystallize the chocolate so it holds its shape when piped.

3. Pipe the truffles. Have ready a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Pipe truffles about an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter onto the tray. Let set for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature or chill for 10 minutes.

4. Dip the truffles. Using truffle forks or a skewer, dip each truffle in the tempered chocolate, tapping the forks or skewer gently on the side of the bowl to shake off excess chocolate. Place the truffle back on the baking tray and continue with the remaining truffles. Chill the truffles for 20 minutes to finish setting the chocolate. Remove from the tray, roll in cocoa powder (or icing sugar) and pack in an airtight container.

The truffles will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days. Let them sit out for 30 minutes before eating.

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• Directions:

Tempering Chocolate – Table Method •

1. Have ready a marble board (or a granite or other stone countertop; a stainless-steel counter will also do), two putty knives (or a palette knife and a bench scraper) and an instant-read digital thermometer.

2. Fill a pot with no more than an inch (2.5 cm) of water and bring it to barely a simmer.

2. Place all of the chopped chocolate in a metal bowl and place it over the water bath. Wait 30 to 45 seconds for the heat to reach the chocolate, then stir gently until it has melted and reaches 113°F to 122°F (45°C to 50°C).

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and pour two-thirds of the chocolate onto the marble board. Set the bowl with the remaining chocolate off to the side on a towel (away from the heat and not on the marble).

4. Using two putty knives, spread the chocolate on the board into a thin layer. Then use your tools to push the chocolate back into the centre of the board, scraping your tools to clean them of the chocolate at each push. Moving the chocolate on the cool marble will lower the temperature of the chocolate. Keep repeating this spreading and scraping in until the chocolate reaches 82°F (28°C).

5. Stir the reserved chocolate and check the temperature: it should be 104°F to 113°F (40°C to 45°C) and completely smooth. If the temperature goes higher, you must let it cool to below 104°F (40°C) and start again. Add the marble-cooled chocolate back to the bowl and stir for about 30 seconds. Check the temperature again: it should be between 88°F and 90°F (31°C and 32°C), which means it is “tempered.” To double-check, dip a piece of parchment paper into the chocolate and set it on your marble board: it should start setting within a minute or two.