Frank's Recipes! How To Make Ganache Page 4

HOW TO MAKE TRUFFLES

Chocolate truffles are ganache in its simplest form, wrapped in a thin cloak of chocolate or a dusting of cocoa. When the ganache is first made, it is still too warm and soft for wasy handling: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the film onto the surface of the chocolate to prevent a thin skin from forming, and refrigerate. After about a half hour, remove the chilled, firm ganache from the refrigerator and form truffle centers with a teaspoon: The ganache is so rich that smaller sizes (no more than an inch) are preferable. For square or rectangular truffles, ganache is chilled as a shallow sheet, and then cut down to size. Spherical truffles must be formed by hand: Use fingers to gently press the ganache into a rough sphere, then smooth it, if desired, by rolling briefly between your palms. It's a messy business (and one that children love). Uncoated truffles should be rolled in cocoa powder or other dry coverings and then transferred to the refrigerator; without a chocolate shell, they will melt at warm room temperatures. For dipped truffles, the ganache is dropped into tempered chocolate, rolled to coat, and then lifted out on a chocolate-dipping fork. Excess tempered chocolate is shaken off by tapping the fork against the side of the bowl; the truffle is then placed on parchment paper to set for at least an hour. While the truffle dries, it can be decorated with drizzles of tempered chocolate, or by pressing dry ingredients like pieces of nut or dried or candied fruit into the still-soft surface.

[ SIMPLE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES ]

Keep these truffles chilled until ready to eat.

1 pound bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
Best-quality cocoa powder

Chop chocolate finely using a serrated knife, and place in a large heat-proof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil over medium-high heat; pour directly over chopped chocolate. Allow to sit 10 minutes; use a rubber spatula to gently stir chocolate and cream until combined. Allow to sit at room temperature until just thickened, about 15 minutes.

Pour ganache mixture into a shallow glass dish. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until mixture is very cold and set but still pliable, about 30 minutes.

Using a small spoon, scoop out ganache into 1-inch nuggets; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill for 10 minutes. Use fingertips to mold truffles into round shapes. Roll in cocoa powder to coat; chill in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Makes 3 dozen.

[ DIPPED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES ]

Tempering chocolate requires measuring temperatures exactly with a chocolate thermometer. To get a clean cut, you may have to rechill truffle mixture periodically to keep it at the temperature that's easiest to work with.

Butter for pan
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
Tempered Chocolate (recipe follows)

Butter an 8-inch square pan; line bottom with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces; place in a large heat-proof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil over medium-high heat; pour directly over chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 10 minutes; use a rubber spatula to stir chocolate and cream until totally combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrpa; chill until mixture is cold and set, 30 to 45 minutes.

Turn ganache onto a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, trim edges to form right angles. Cut into 7 strips about 7/8 inch wide. Cut strips crosswise to form cubes. Place on a parchment-lined tray; chill for 5 minutes if soft, otherwise proceed to next step.

Once chocolate is tempered, use it immediately. Drop truffles into tempered chocolate one at a time; turn over to completely cover. Use a chocolate-dipping fork to lift truffle out. Tap fork; allow excess to drip back into bowl. With a second dipping fork, slide truffle onto a parchment-lined tray. Working as quickly as possible, repeat with remaining truffles (if tempered chocolate cools too much, it goes out of temper). When all truffles are dipped, you may drizzle with excess tempered chocolate.

Allow truffles to sit for at least an hour or overnight to fully set. Store at room temperature in a cool dry place.

Makes about 4 dozen.

[ TEMPERED CHOCOLATE ]

We used dark Valrhona chocolate. Temperatures vary with different chocolates. Call the manufacturer or check the package for proper tempering temperatures for the chocolate you choose, but always use top-quality chocolate. Do not use a wooden spoon to stir. Be careful not to let any water droplets get in the bowl of chocolate, and be sure the thermometer tip is not touching the bottom of the bowl, or the temperature reading will be inaccurate.

1 1/2 pounds bittersweet chocolate

Chop 1 1/4 pounds chocolate into bite-size pieces with a serrated knife; place in a dry metal bowl.

Bring a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer; turn off. Set bowl of chocolate over saucepan; melt. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until it reaches 118°F on a chocolate thermometer. Remove bowl from saucepan; add remaining chocolate to melted chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until melted chocolate cools to 84°F; remove unmelted pieces. Place bowl over pan; stir until thermometer reaches 88° to 90°F. Use immediately.

Makes enough for 4 dozen truffles.

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