Deck the halls and get into the spirit of the season! There's something magical about this time of year including all of the sweet treats. Dark Chocolate Truffles are the rich, decadent, and complex treat that will have everyone going back for another.
These silky, molten, slightly spicy, and rich truffles are the perfect ending to any holiday feast while also being an ideal sweet treat at your next glittering cocktail party. Unlike Easy White Chocolate Truffles, these are decidedly grown up, dressed in their finest, and ready to toast to the season.
Ingredients
Whether you're looking for a sweet confection to give as a gift or the ending to any holiday feast, Dark Chocolate Truffles are ideal. With just a few simple ingredients, they're as easy to shop for as they are delicious to eat!
- Dark Chocolate - Deep, rich, decadent, and little bitter, dark chocolate doesn't contain the additional milk solids of milk chocolate. It comes in bittersweet, semi-sweet, and sweet. The highest quality dark chocolate is made with 70% or more cocoa.
- Heavy Cream - Adds richness to the truffles while helping keep the chocolate from becoming hard and aiding in that smooth, creamy texture.
- Butter - A taste of decadence while also giving the chocolate truffles a silky mouthfeel.
- Cayenne Pepper - Just a pinch adds a hint of spice and mystery to every bite.
- Brandy - This distilled wine is a little sweet and fruity. It adds a sweet element to the truffles that balances the bitterness.
- Espresso Coffee - Coffee and chocolate go hand in hand. Espresso deepens the richness of the chocolate flavor and adds depth.
- Cocoa Powder - Gives these truffles their dramatic appearance while keeping them from being too sticky.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Truffles
While there are a few steps to making these indulgent treats, they're all simple. Once you've made them have fun experimenting with different flavors like adding bourbon or rum.
Time needed: 5 hours.
Deep, dark, complex and completely irresistible, these are sure to become a new holiday tradition.
- Double Boiler
Create a double boiler. Bring a pot of water to a low boil with a bowl fit over the top. Make sure that the water never touches the bottom of the bowl. It's The steam created will melt the chocolate. Add your chocolate and using a spoon or spatula to stir until it has fully melted.
- Mix
Once the chocolate has melted stir in the heavy cream. Continue to stir until the chocolate is silky smooth. Add the remaining ingredients except for the cocoa powder. Stir to combine.
- Chill
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
- Shape
Use a small ice cream scoop to form your chocolate truffles. Drop them into the cocoa powder and roll them around until they are fully coated.
- Store
Keep your dark chocolate truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Variations
- Alcohol - Swap out the brandy in these truffles for a different type of liqueur. Bourbon, rum, amaretto, and Frangelico are all great options that pair well with the flavors.
- Coating - While cocoa powder is a traditional coating to roll your truffles in you can swap it out for something different. Finely shredded coconut, crushed peppermint candy, crushed chocolate cookies, and even finely chopped buts are all excellent options. They can also be rolled in powdered sugar for a dramatic effect.
Tools
- Double Boiler - This is the best way to melt chocolate gently without it seizing up and over cooking. You can easily create a double boiler with a saucepan and glass or metal bowl. Fill the saucepan with water about halfway up, making sure it never
- Small Scoop - Using a small scoop is the easiest way to not only shape your truffles, but also make sure they're all uniformly sized. This is also a great trick when making cookies as well as meatballs.
Storage
Because of the butter, chocolate, and heavy cream in these truffles they need to be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This will help them maintain their melt in your mouth delicious texture.
Top Tip for Dark Chocolate Truffles
Chocolate is the star of this sumptuous treat. Make sure that you pick a high-quality chocolate when creating these truffles.
Dark Chocolate Truffles
Equipment
- 1 double boiler
- 1 small scoop
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 oz brandy, or other alcohol
- 1 shot espresso coffee, cooled
- 1 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Create a double boiler. Fill a saucepan a little less than halfway with water and bring to a low boil on low heat. Place a bowl over the top of it, making sure the water never touches the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the chocolate to the bowl and using a spoon or spatula stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth.
- Pour in the heavy cream. Continue to stir until it is fully incorporated and silky smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the cocoa powder. Stir until combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to refrigerate for 2-3 hours to overnight.
- Use a small scoop to form your truffles. Drop them into the cocoa powder and roll them until they are completely covered.
- Keep the dark chocolate truffles stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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