If you’re looking for a luscious, decadent, elegant chocolate confection, you have come to the right place.
There are sweets, and then there are sweets. What’s the difference? Well, it depends on who you ask, but if you’re asking me, here’s the answer: The former includes wonderfully delicious desserts—cakes, pies, tarts, puddings, cupcakes, cookies, you know what I mean. And the latter? Those sweets are in a rarefied class of their own: luxurious, decadent, small bites of creamy, heavenly lusciousness that often only appear at holidays or special occasions. In my world, the crowning glory of this class of sweets is the chocolate truffle.
Chocolate truffles, whether they are rolled in cocoa powder (as ours are), colored sugar, or a hard candy coating, are rich and indulgent balls of smooth, velvety ganache, that glorious mix of chocolate and heavy cream. While everyone seems to agree that these extraordinary confections came from France, the actual origin stories differ. Some historians credit pastry chef Louis Dufour for creating the first truffles in 1895, while others believe truffles were a happy accident attributed to famed chef Auguste Escoffier’s assistant, who mistakenly poured hot cream into a bowl of chopped chocolate, and it began to harden.
Now, with only four simple ingredients and the bit of patience required to prepare them perfectly, you can make chocolate truffles whenever you like, whether you’re celebrating something so special it warrants their appearance or you just want to indulge in a rich, opulent, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate lover’s dream. In addition to the chocolate and cream, our recipe calls for unsalted butter, which adds richness and gloss to the ganache, and vanilla extract, which contributes lovely depth. We also roll the truffles in unsweetened cocoa, a traditional finish that adds to the truffle’s intense chocolate flavor.
Choosing chocolate for your chocolate truffles
When a recipe calls for very few ingredients, you know those ingredients should be the best they can be. That rule could not be truer than when making chocolate truffles. Be sure to purchase the highest quality semisweet chocolate you can find and afford; some great choices that will ensure the best flavor and smoothest texture include Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, Guittard, and Ghirardelli. Buy them in bars or discs, which are the easiest to chop finely.
Although you can use semisweet chocolate chips, we don’t recommend them. Chocolate chips have a lower cocoa butter content and generally contain an additive that helps them hold their shape while baking; both of these things can prohibit the chocolate from melting perfectly. In addition, chocolate chips have a less complex chocolate taste than the higher-quality chocolate we’re suggesting and generally more sugar, which will alter the truffle’s flavor profile.
How do I store leftovers?
Chocolate truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week; we recommend removing them about 20 minutes before serving, as they tend to taste best at room temperature. You can also freeze the truffles in the airtight container for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge before serving).
Serving suggestions
Chocolate truffles can be a superstar component of any fancy dessert buffet. At Christmas, they are so lovely served side-by-side with squares of Snowflake Fudge, Sugared Cranberries, and individual servings of these No-Bake White Chocolate Cheesecakes With Mulled Wine Fruit. But I have to confess that I like chocolate truffles to steal the dessert show all by their sweet selves. So one of my favorite ways to serve them is alongside this New Year’s Eve Cheeseboard (full transparency: this is an amazing pairing partly because the cheeseboard comes with a recipe for a pear martini, which complements the truffles exquisitely). When I’m willing to let my truffles share the limelight with other sweet treats, I do love to add them to a Sweet and Savory Fall Cheeseboard, particularly when I’m hosting Thanksgiving, and the items on this cheeseboard, including my decadent truffles, are absolutely perfect with the Family Stone Sipper—Cinnamon and Orange Cocktail.
Chocolate Truffles Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder for coating
Instructions
- Pour the heavy cream and butter into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges. Do not let it boil.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and stir gently until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1-2 hours until the ganache firms up. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the chilled ganache to form mounds.
- Refrigerate the mounds for 20 minutes, then roll them between your hands to form a ball. Then, roll each truffle in unsweetened cocoa powder to coat.
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