Traditions - General Info Section
Chocolate truffles recipe for Christmas
Easy-peasy recipe for French chocolate truffles
Chocolate truffles are a 'must' in France during Christmas and New Year festivities.
French indeed give them to friends and family, serve them at the end of their banquets and with coffee and digestives when they retreat by the log fire and the Christmas tree in the drawing room.
No need to break the bank to buy them in renowned maîtres-chocolatiers boutiques.
Chocolate truffles couldn’t be easier to make.
The cherry on the cake, if I may say, is that they require no prior culinary skill!
There are many recipes for chocolate truffles.
However, they can end up quite expensive, as they often involve trendy and exclusive ingredients, which in my opinion simply corrupt the original flavour of traditional truffles.
Being a fervent adept of the saying 'less is more', I have decided to stick to the easiest and fastest recipe, the basic and genuine recipe that will allow you to create the best truffles.
Friends and family will be impressed by your culinary talents, but also because you’ll have gone out of your way to create something for them.
The only requirement for this easy-peasy recipe is to start preparing the day before in order to get a creamy and fragrant mixture.
Ingredients
For about 40 truffles:
- 300g dark chocolate
- 20cl whipping cream
- 40g unsalted butter
- Optional: vanilla, Grand Marnier, rum, cherry etc ... aroma and amount to taste, but a few drops are sufficient as you don't want it to be overwhelming
- Cocoa powder to coat the truffles
Preparation
About 40mn - Start the day before:
- Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie
- Boil the whipping cream separately a saucepan
- Remove from the heat
- Pour the melted chocolate into the cream while stirring thoroughly until you obtain a smooth paste
- Place this paste in a bowl, let it cool then cover with a lid or cling film
- Let stand in the refrigerator overnight
The next day:
- Melt the mixture in a bain-marie
- Add the butter (and the aroma if applicable) while stirring thoroughly
- Let this paste cool until it becomes solid
- Use a dessert spoon and take small amounts
- Form small balls by hand
- Once formed, roll the balls in powdered cocoa
Your chocolate truffles are ready!
Tip: Store them in your refrigerator - if you can keep them long enough...