Chocolate recipe: chocolate truffles video demonstration

It’s that time of year when people across the world celebrate love and indulge in chocolate. Each week in the Jordan kitchen, I make homemade chocolate truffles and thought I’d share my favorite chocolate recipes in this demonstration video. With a few essential tools, tips and ingredients, you’ll find that making chocolate truffles isn’t so hard after all. Jordan recipes for the truffles’ tempered chocolate shells, as well as both soft and firm chocolate ganache fillings in different flavors, are included below. We hope this tutorial awakens your inner chocolatier. Cheers!

Recipe: Basic Dark Chocolate Ganache (Soft)

Three variations of soft chocolate truffle ganache recipes are included below. Use the Basic Dark Chocolate Ganache (Soft) instructions for each ganache, as only ingredients vary.

Ingredients ~

4 oz. cream
4 oz. dark chocolate discs (San Francisco-based TCHO is our preferred brand)
1 Tbsp. soft butter

Instructions ~

Bring cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate.
Cover for 2 minutes and stir smooth.
Mix in soft butter.
Allow it to cool to room temperature; once filling has cooled to room temperature, it is ready to use. While filling is cooling, make the Tempered Dark Chocolate Shell (see below recipe).
Pour tempered chocolate into your candy mold.
Be sure to tap out all the air bubbles and scrape off the excess chocolate using a flat spatula (see demonstration video above).
Allow chocolate to set up slightly, just to form a shell in the candy mold.
Tip the mold over and pour the majority of the chocolate back into your bowl and scrape the mold clean. (You should be left with a shell that has an empty cavity.)
Using a piping bag, pipe your ganache filling into the chocolate shell, leaving room to cap it off with more tempered chocolate.
Once they are all full, cover the candy mold again with tempered chocolate, tap out excess air and scrape clean.
Place in a cool area and allow the chocolates to completely set, about 20-30 minutes.
To remove from the mold, twist the mold to loosen the chocolates and turn over.
If they do not release clean, refrigerate for 5 minutes and try again.

Recipe: Tempered Dark Chocolate Shell

Ingredients ~

1 lb. dark chocolate discs (San Francisco-based TCHO is our preferred brand)

Instructions ~

Gently heat 2/3 of your chocolate (chopped or discs/pieces) over a double boiler, stirring constantly until melted. Chocolate will be melted at 120 degrees.
Be careful that no steam or water gets into your chocolate as it is being melted.
Cool the chocolate by adding fresh chocolate pieces and constant agitation, or stirring, until it reaches about 84 degrees.
Quickly return your bowl to the heat and heat the chocolate to 88-89 degrees, stirring constantly.
Chocolate is now tempered and ready to use.
If chocolate hardens and needs to be remelted, or gets above 91 degrees, you must re-temper it.
See Basic Dark Chocolate Ganache (Soft) recipe above for tempered shell/molded chocolate use instructions.

Recipe: Milk Chocolate Ganache (Soft)

Ingredients ~

4 oz. cream
6 oz.milk chocolate discs
1 Tbsp. soft butter

Instructions ~

Follow instructions in above recipes for Basic Dark Chocolate Ganache (Soft) and Tempered Dark Chocolate Shell.

Recipe: White Chocolate Ganache (Soft)

Ingredients ~

4 oz. cream
8 oz. white chocolate discs
1 Tbsp. soft butter

Instructions ~

Follow instructions in above recipes for Basic Dark Chocolate Ganache (Soft) and Tempered Dark Chocolate Shell.

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Ganache (Firm)

Three variations of firm chocolate truffle ganache recipes are included below. Use the Dark Chocolate Ganache (Firm) instructions for each ganache, as only ingredients vary. Garnishes are optional and only limited to your imagination.

Ingredients ~

4 oz. cream
12 oz. chocolate discs
1 Tbsp. soft butter
Finely chopped nuts, sea salt, transfer sheets or other candied garnish (optional)

Instructions ~

Spread the firm chocolate ganache filling to desired thickness on a cookie sheet, baking pan or plate and let set up.
Once firm ganache is completely set (usually overnight), it is ready to use, make sure to use it at room temperature.
Cut into desired shapes–rectangles, squares or even triangles. (Using a hot knife allows for clean, easier slicing).
Drop into tempered chocolate and lift out using a fork or dipping fork.
Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then run the fork against the rim of your bowl to scrape off the excess.
Place onto parchment-lined pan, working from top to bottom and right to left.
Before the chocolate has hardened, you can sprinkle on some decorative accents, such as nuts, salt or chocolate shavings.
You can also press an image onto the chocolate using a chocolate transfer sheet. Allow it to fully set, about 20 minutes, before removing the transfer sheet.