Everyone loves a good French chocolate truffle (or Truffes au Chocolat in French). But only a few people know how and why they taste as good as they do. Chocolate truffles are a deeply indulgent chocolate treat made from chocolate and cream and hand-rolled in cocoa powder to mimic the look of the truffle mushroom (an exotic French mushroom that grows underground near the surface).
French people often offer their guests these chocolate truffles as a treat at the end of a special meal. Also, chocolate truffle boxes make a fantastic gift if you’re a guest somewhere this year at Thanksgiving or at Christmas.
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The History of French Chocolate Truffles
According to the legend, French pâtissier Louis Dufour coined the idea for chocolate truffles on Christmas Day, 1895 in Chambéry, France. As he was running out of ideas for Christmas treats, he decided to try something new. He made up a batch of ganache shaped it into a round ball and then dipped it into melted chocolate. Then, he rolled the chocolate-covered ganache balls in cocoa powder. He finally named them “truffles”, as they resembled the look of actual truffles.
We can attribute another version to an apprentice to the famous 1920s French cooking giant, Auguste Escoffier. One day, as his apprentice attempted to make pastry cream, he accidentally poured hot cream into a bowl of chocolate chunks. His mistake resulted in a ganache. When the paste hardened, he rolled it into a ball and then rolled the ball into cocoa powder.
Making homemade chocolate truffles couldn’t be easier, you just need four ingredients: cocoa powder, butter, cream, and dark chocolate. Chocolate truffles are the perfect quick and easy treat for the holiday season! That is why I wanted to share with you my favorite chocolate truffles recipe by the French Master Pâtissier Cyril Lignac.
The Chocolate Truffles Recipe By Cyril Lignac
Ingredients
- 50 g cocoa powder unsweetened
- 40 g salted butter
- 20 cl liquid cream
- 300 g dark chocolate (at least 65%)
- 5 drops liquid vanilla extract
Instructions
- Break the chocolate into small pieces.
- Heat the cream and add a few drops of liquid vanilla extract.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate three times. Each time make sure to stir well to emulsify the mixture. Let the ganache cool in a container.
- Once the ganache starts to harden, cut the butter into small pieces, and add them to the preparation. Stir to obtain a smooth paste, and let cool for several hours or overnight.
- The chocolate truffle dough should be hard and smooth. Form small balls and roll them in the cocoa powder.
Notes
