French Truffles

Chocolate truffles, with their classic cocoa coating and irregular shape, were named after the rare fungus so prized in French cuisine. Each of the following four recipes makes two dozen truffles.

You can easily halve each recipe to make fewer of each kind—or pick just two flavors to include in your gift boxes.

Because the chocolate becomes soft and sticky very quickly, keep your hands cool by repeatedly coating them with confectioners' sugar while rolling.

Truffles may be kept, refrigerated, up to a month.

Recipes by Stephanna Bottom.

Food stylist: Kelli Ronci

• 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, broken into large pieces
• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Confectioners' sugar
• Cinnamon stick, for garnish

• 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, broken into large pieces
• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Confectioners' sugar

• Cinnamon Truffles
• 1. Place chocolate in food processor and process until finely ground.
• 2. Heat cream and cinnamon in a small saucepan just until the cream simmers and small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat.
• 3. With the food processor running, pour the hot cream through the feed tube onto the chocolate and process until mixture is smooth.
• 4. Transfer chocolate mixture to a shallow pan and refrigerate, uncovered, until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.
• 5. Sprinkle cocoa powder in a shallow dish. Sprinkle confectioners' sugar on a large plate. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop up 1-inch rounds of the chocolate mixture. Pat hands in the confectioners' sugar and quickly roll each truffle between your hands to make a rough round. Roll truffles lightly in cocoa powder. Continue until all the chocolate is used, then transfer to airtight container.
• 6. Just before packaging, cut a cinnamon stick into tiny slivers and sprinkle a few over the top of each dusted truffle.
• Grand Marnier Truffles
• 1. Follow steps 1, 2, and 3 (eliminating the cinnamon) from recipe for cinnamon truffles. After processing chocolate mixture with cream, pulse in Grand Marnier and orange zest.
• 2. Transfer mixture to shallow pan and refrigerate, uncovered, until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.
• 3. Roll truffles into 1-inch balls, then quickly roll each in confectioners' sugar. Continue until all the chocolate is used, then transfer to airtight container until ready to package.

September & October 2005

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