One Chocolate Truffle Recipe, Endless Variations
MAKE THIS WITH: Le Creuset Ovens + Saucepans
“To explain the basic technique of making chocolate ganache truffles, we asked James Beard Award nominated Pastry Chef Caroline Schiff (of Gage and Tollner restaurant in Brooklyn, New York) to share her best chocolate truffle recipe, as well as expert tips for how to take that one basic recipe and turn it into endless truffle flavor variations. You’ll never reach for boxed chocolates again!”
The Best Basic Truffle Recipe
Caroline’s basic truffle recipe is tried and true, and the possibilities are infinite once you learn the basic recipe. She says, “make simple milk or dark chocolate ganache centers, enrobe them in a hard chocolate shell, add a splash of your favorite booze, pump up the flavor with zest or spices, roll and dust in all kinds of delicious coatings to make your chocolate flavor combination dreams come true! And don’t worry about achieving perfect spheres – in fact, don’t strive for them at all. Chocolate truffles are a confection meant to resemble the prized truffle tuber, and thus should be slightly organic in shape, each with its own character and nuanced surface texture. So go ahead and make these your own in every way.”
There are only a few ingredients needed to make Caroline’s chocolate truffles. So be sure to use good quality ingredients, and especially the best chocolate you can afford. This recipe will yield about 32 truffles.
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) good quality dark or milk chocolate in large chips, discs, or bars roughly chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream for dark chocolate, or 1/2 cup cream if using milk chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Set the chocolate and salt in a deep mixing bowl.
Bring the cream to a boil in a Saucepan, along with any of the optional flavoring additions noted below.
When it hits a boil, remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chocolate making sure the chocolate is submerged. Add the vanilla (or any of the optional liqueurs or extracts below). Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and then using a spatula begin to stir to melt the chocolate.
Add the butter and mix vigorously with the spatula to combine until smooth and uniform, it may look broken and messy at first, but keep going!
Transfer the smooth ganache to a container and allow to cool to room temperature. Then cover and transfer to the fridge to chill overnight.
Remove the filling from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature until soft enough to scoop – about one hour for dark chocolate and 30 minutes for milk chocolate. Scoop using a 1/4 ounce baking scoop onto a parchment lined Sheet Pan. Transfer to the fridge and chill the scooped truffles for 1 hour or until firm enough to pick up with ease.
To finish, dip truffles, or roll in various coatings, transferring to the fridge as needed if the truffles become too soft to handle. Milk chocolate truffles will be generally slightly softer than dark chocolate ones. Chill well before serving.
How to Dip Truffles
To dip truffles in a chocolate coating, here is Caroline’s preferred method:
Bring two inches of water to a boil in a round Dutch Oven or pot. Set a large mixing bowl on top to make a double boiler.
Turn off the heat and add 16 ounces dark chocolate (60% to 70% large chips, discs or bars roughly chopped), stirring with a spatula until fully melted. The residual heat from the boiled water will do the work!
Dust a parchment lined sheet pan with 1/2 cup cocoa powder. One at a time drop a chilled truffle into the melted dark chocolate. Quickly coat it in dark chocolate, and using two forks and allowing the excess to drip off. Place it on the sheet pan. When the chocolate coating starts to set and takes on a matte appearance, shake the sheet pan and roll the truffles around in the cocoa powder, giving them a textured, set shell. Chill to further set.
Note: Caroline personally likes to dip milk chocolate truffles. It gives them a sturdy shell since milk chocolate is softer, and offers some texture and balance to the sweetness, but it works either way.
How to Coat Truffles
Caroline suggests mixing and matching flavorings and coatings to create unique and delicious flavors.
Place your desired coatings in shallow bowls or on small plates.
Roll well chilled truffles in the coatings, using your fingers to gently press on coarser coatings.
Place coated truffles on a parchment lined sheet pan and chill well before serving. Transfer to platters and enjoy!
Liqueurs or Extracts to Add to Truffles
Substitute the vanilla in the basic truffle recipe with any of these liqueurs or extracts:
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
1 tablespoon Bailey’s liqueur
1 tablespoon cognac
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons coffee extract
Other Flavoring Additions to Try
Add any of these to the cream when it is boiling:
Zest of one large orange
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon malted milk powder
More Truffle Coating Ideas
Roll truffles in any, or all, of these coatings:
Cocoa powder
Desiccated coconut
Ground nuts, like pistachios, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts and almonds
Crushed gingersnap cookies
Pre-ground freeze dried raspberries or strawberries
Sprinkles in every color
Matcha powder
Edible gold dust