212 ounce bagschocolate chips (55% cacao or higher)
1teaspoonextract or flavoring see note
pinch kosher salt
1largeancho chili, dried (use only if making the Mexican Spiced truffles)
Couverture
212 ounce bagsgood quality dark chocolate chips (60% or higher)
Optional Garnishes
Mexican Spiced Christmas Truffles
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoonground cayenne pepper
Mocha Christmas Truffles
instant coffee
Orange Christmas Truffles
zest of 1 orange, dried between paper towels for 1 hour
Candy Cane (Peppermint) Christmas Truffles
candy canes, crushed
Instructions
In a small sauce pan, heat the cream over medium heat until you see steam coming off of the surface.
Note: if you're making Mexican Spiced Christmas Truffles, add the chili to the cream to infuse its flavor into the cream.
While you're waiting for your cream to steam, combine the chocolate chips and your desired flavoring (see note) together in a mixing bowl.
Once the cream has begun to steam, pour it over the chocolate in the bowl (strain the chili pepper if you've steeped it in the cream). Allow the cream to melt the chocolate for 5 minutes, then slowly whisk the ganache until it's smooth.
Allow the chocolate to sit at room temperature, and firm up, for about 1 hour. Stir it occasionally to ensure it stays smooth. If your chocolate gets too stiff to stir, heat it over a double-boiler and start the process again.
Scoop and Roll the Truffles
Once your ganache is the consistency of peanut butter, use a #40 portion scoop to form the ganache. Level off the bottom of the chocolate you scoop by scraping it along the rim of the bowl, then drop them onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Wearing gloves, roll the scoops of chocolate between the palms of your hands to form them into balls. Once you've shaped all your truffles, put them into the fridge to harden up.
Temper the Couverture
In a small mixing bowl, heat two-thirds of the dark chocolate in a microwave for 1 minute. Stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula. There will still be pieces of unmelted chocolate, so return it to the microwave and nuke it for one more minute. Stir again, if the chocolate is still lumpy, return it the microwave and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Once the chocolate is smooth and runny, dab a small amount of the chocolate onto the skin of your inner wrist. If it stings a little when it touches that sensitive part of your wrist, it is now ready for you to add the remaining chocolate. Stir it in slowly. If the chocolate is too cool when you test it against your skin, heat it in the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. If it's too hot, stir it until it cools to the proper temperature.
Place a truffle onto a candy dipper and use another spoon to ladle the tempered chocolate over the truffle.
Gently, but rapidly, tap the candy dipper against the top rim of the bowl to encourage the chocolate to drip off the truffle and back into the bowl. Give the bottom of the truffle a gentle scrape against the side of the bowl before transferring it to the sheet pan. (Use a toothpick to help slide it off the candy dipper.)
Leave the truffles to sit on the counter and allow the truffles' coating to harden slightly. If you are garnishing do so while the coating is still a little soft.
For plain Chocolate Christmas Truffles: fill a parchment piping bag with the remaining tempered chocolate and drizzle it onto the truffles.
Mexican Spiced Christmas Truffles
Combine the ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Transfer this spice mix to a tea strainer or a small sifter.
Lightly dust the tops of the truffles with the spice mix.
Mocha Christmas Truffles
Garnish with a generous pinch of instant coffee flakes.
Orange Christmas Truffles
Sprinkle dried orange zest onto each of the truffles.
Candy Cane Christmas Truffles
Sprinkle a generous amount of the crushed candy canes onto each of the truffles.
Package and Gift
Once you've dipped and garnished the truffles, allow them to set up for at least 1 hour.
Handle the truffles while wearing gloves so as not to leave fingerprints. Transfer the truffles to candy cups, then pack them in a gift boxes if desired.
Notes
Use your choice of extracts. For the flavors given here, use orange extract, coffee extract, cinnamon extract, or peppermint extract. Be sure to use "peppermint extract", and not "mint extract". Mint extract tastes like spearmint which is not the flavor you want.
Try to work quickly to prevent the chocolate in the bowl from hardening while you're dipping the truffles. If you will be dipping a lot of truffles, set your bowl of tempered chocolate on a heating pad set on low, and stir it regularly to keep the chocolate from hardening.
These truffles may be kept at room temperature or in the fridge, for up to 1 week after making them.