Easy homemade chocolate truffles

Homemade chocolate truffles

Those little treats we love to eat or give at Christmas! I love homemade chocolate truffles, and I won’t hide the fact that I don’t wait for Christmas or New Year to make them. Making homemade truffles is so easy, it would be a shame to miss out.

I try not to get carried away by the holiday frenzy, but the temptation is too strong, and my hands itch as soon as it comes to making homemade cakes, Christmas candies, or logs and desserts.

When you’re passionate about baking, any occasion is a good reason to get in the kitchen. Lately, I’ve been trying to bring you a few more savory recipes.

Many of you have asked me for my recipe for roasted turkey for Thanksgiving. I hope you like it! If you’re not a turkey fan, you can also opt for leg of lamb or baked capon.

Homemade chocolate truffles

Table of Contents

Tips and tricks :

Making the ganache: There’s nothing complicated about this, but it’s important to make the emulsion without rushing. Emulsion involves mixing two ingredients with different textures that don’t easily blend, similar to making mayonnaise. The principle is the same.

To make a good ganache, it’s essential to choose good-quality chocolate, both for its fluidity and, above all, for its taste. Top-of-the-range chocolates like Valrhona or Cacao Barry are ideal for a well-balanced, low-sugar ganache with a high cocoa content.

Make sure the melted chocolate is almost cool but not set before pouring the hot cream over it. If the chocolate is too hot, the ganache won’t have that lovely smooth, shiny texture.

You can melt the chocolate completely, partially, or even use it without melting: all three methods work.

how to make chocolate truffles for christmas

Truffle coating: These truffles are a little different from the classics, which are simply rolled in cocoa. These are just like the ones you’d find in a chocolate shop. They are first coated with tempered melted chocolate, then rolled in cocoa. To obtain a thin layer of chocolate, it’s best to use your hands.

Although this may not seem very “elegant”, it’s a quick and effective method. If this is a problem, you can also wear baking gloves, which are very practical for handling chocolate.

The recipe on video

Ingredients:

NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.

300 g of 70% cocoa chocolate (10.5 oz)
300 g full-fat heavy cream (10.5 oz)
30 g honey (1 oz)
75 g butter at room temperature ( 2.6 oz)

For coating

250 g of chocolate with at least 55% cocoa ( 8.8 oz)
250 g more or less bitter cocoa (8.8 oz)

Preparation steps :

1. Melt the chocolate without overheating it, removing it from the double boiler several times. If too hot, allow to cool before stirring in the cream.

2. Bring the cream and honey to the boil, then pour over the chocolate in 3 or 4 batches.

3. Stir with each addition to obtain a fine emulsion. Use a rubber spatula and avoid whisking.

4. Chocolate may seem lumpy at first, but this is normal. By adding the last quarter of cream, the ganache becomes smooth and shiny.

5. When the ganache reaches around 35-40°C (95-104°F), add the soft butter in 2 or 3 parts and mix well. You can blend the ganache with an immersion blender to perfect the emulsion and obtain a smooth texture.

6. Cover with cling film and leave to set at room temperature overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can speed up the setting process by placing it in the refrigerator.

7. Once the ganache has set, shape into walnut-sized balls. weighed the truffles, and each one is 10 g ( 0.35 oz), but it’s up to you if you prefer them larger. If the ganache starts to stick to your hands, put it back in the fridge for a while.

8. Tempering the chocolate (300 g /10.5 oz) using the method of your choice: classic tempering or seed tempering.

9. Take a ball in the palm of your hand and coat with melted chocolate. Immediately roll in cocoa powder. You can also skip the chocolate coating and dip them directly into the cocoa.

10. Let them crystallize for 2 hours before placing them in a box. Handle delicately to avoid breaking the thin, crunchy layer of chocolate.

chocolate truffles for christmas - recipe for a gourmet gift

Tips of storage :

1. Once packed or placed in an airtight box, store truffles in the refrigerator. They can be kept for two weeks or more.

2. Although they’ll melt in your mouth if you eat them straight from the fridge, I’d still recommend taking them out half an hour before eating, as they’ll taste even better.

Is honey essential to this recipe?

These truffles can also be made without honey, and are just as delicious. Honey mainly adds creaminess and helps preserve the truffles, keeping them soft.

You can choose the honey you have on hand, as the small amount added will not strongly affect the taste of the chocolate. However, if you have a choice, opt for acacia honey, which is the most neutral.