Making chocolate truffles - HELP

Food & Drink, Events and Entertainment
1
Master chocolatiers - i need your help.........

I am off to friends for dinner tonight and they are great cooks - really great. So I thought I woukd make some chocolate truffles to bring along and got going last night but after checking on the mixture this morning I have a problem -the fat in the mix hasn't emulsified properly and some of the fat from the cream and butter combo has separated from the mix.

I am making the Swiss Truffle variety ( didn't know that truffles fell into three main categories until checking online - Swiss, American and European) which is a mixture of chocolate, cream and butter - basically a ganache.

I used the following quantities:

140g 90% cocoa chocolate chopped into small pieces

25g butter

140 ml double cream

Cream and butter were melted and heated together until a good simmer, then poured over chocolate and mixed until chocolate melted and then mixed further but I have to admit it looked a bit oily if that makes sense.

Question is did I get the proportions of the ingredients right (was from a BBC website and I halved the amounts as recipe said I could do), should I have left the liquid mixture on the chocolate for a few minutes before mixing (i was worried that without mixing immediately, there was the possibility that not all of the chocolate would melt), was the chocolate unsuitable for this ie too high a cocoa content.

I know that Swiss double cream does not have the same consistency as UK double cream, hence the need for the pwoeder if you want it to stay peaky for long, so do i need to adjust the quantities??

Any advice, tips etc welcome.....I might just be able to make a new batch before tonight if I get help early enough and I know my friends will appreciate the effort.

2
1) NO BUTTER. Also, the more cream you use, the softer the Ganache.

2) I would normally use "couverture" chocolate. It has a higher cocoa butter content (at the expense of cocoa solids). Do not use anything that isn't technically "chocolate" as defined in EU law, ie Cadbury's Dairy MIlk is a big No No. If your recipe calls for 90% chocolate, you need to use creme fraiche, not "Schlagsahne".

3) If the Ganache is to be used to fill chocolates, use 2 parts chocolate to 1 part full cream. Boil the cream, pour over the chocolate, stir from the centre to the outside of the bowl to emulsify. Add aromas (eg vanilla, alcohol, coffee etc...). Let cool thoroughly.

3
Thanks Tom Tulpe

The ganache is to be rolled into balls and I'll dust with cocoa powder. I'll see if I can find couverture chocolate and give it another go.

Cheers

Vallers

4
Jack knows lots about chocolate-making.

5
Not directly relevant, but you might get some great tips!

6

Migros carries Gruyere double cream, would that work?

7
Are you sure that you did not just overcooked the chocolate? It is easily done with chocolate. Temperature is everything with choco. Isn't the point 67 ° or so? I vaguely remember some reading about this.

8

Well the chcolate did not go onto any direct heat - only the cream butter combo did and at a good simmer were taken off the heat and added to the chocolate in a bowl.

So all in all, I split the mixture and added some malt whiskey to one and left the other plain.

I let the mixture cool and removed the hardened butter fat that had separated and then scooped and rolled into balls before rolling the plain ones in cocoa powder and the whiskey ones in icing sugar. After having a friend have one of each we agreed that the plain chocolate ones were too chocolatey but the whiskey ones were better but all in all they were good enough to be taken as a gift.

BUT...I fully intend to use this week to perfect the art and will try:

1) A knob of butter (Jamie Oliver)

2) No butter

3) The above with - same quantity of chocolate and cream

4) 1 and 2 with 2:1 chocolate to cream

5) A lower cocoa content - 90% is too strong

6) Couverture

and then if I still don't have a good combo

7) 3 and 4 with Gruyere cream

Thanks everyone for your help...the fact I made homemade truffles went down a storm with my friends last night.

Cheers

Vallers

9
You're gonna try 7 different truffle recipes this week?? You need to know the swissgerman for "urgent cholesterol test"??

10
I did think of that and plan small quantities on various guinea pigs !!!

11
Ok ok, I'll do it, I'll be one of your guinea pigs if I have to *sigh*

12
yummy i ll also try with your reciepe

13
I think in cheese fondue country a chocolate truffle lover would be one of the lower priorities on the hospital waiting list.

14
Well didn't get round to making the variations yet but have the ingredients (couverture, 70% chocolate and 85%) and will be bringing small amounts of the different recipes to brunch with friends on Sunday at Pot Belly's so if you happen to be there and my friends have left some, then come over to our table and try one - constructive comments are required!!

Will let you know what came out as the winner.....

15
They also carry creme fraiche, which is what I use when making chocolate mousse (among other things).

Tom

16
Would just like to say that I was a guinea pig and very yummy they were too !

17
The following combinations were made:

A - Equal measures of Couverture (Coops finest rage) + Double Cream plus a knob of butter

B - Above without butter

C - Equal measures of 75% Cocoa Chocolate + Double Cream + knob of butter

D - Equal measures of 85% Cocoa Chocolate + Double Cream

E - Equal measures of 75% Cocoa Chocolate + Double Cream

F - Couverture + half as much double cream

Now don't ask why E wasn't D but the boxes were labelled and I poured the wrong one into E!!!

And the results are in..........

First Place - E comments Super Duper Unanimous top score!!

Second Place B comments - sweeter than A and smooth

Third Place - F - Okay but too solid and intense, interesting

Fourth Place C - Between A and B but grainier texture

Fifth Place - A Bitter aftertaste, smooth texture

Sixth Place - Too rich, didn't emuslfiy, too chocolatey

I should say that Gina from Pot Belly's also tasted after the results were in and her comments were

A - Good

B- Bland

C- Good but strong and needs to be cold

D - Not one she would go for

E - Okay

F - Too Heavy

Conclusions

75% Cocoa content is maximum to use - higher and it doesn't mix well at all

Use equal measures of double cream and chocolate - less cream makes the chocolate too intense

Butter isn't needed at all.

Thanks to all for our comments. All chocolate used was from Coop's own range...

Will now expirement with flavours.......

Vallers

18
While loving chocolate raisins! I also attempted to make choc truffles once upon a time, the result was chocolate mousse, as the mixture didn`t set.

Equally yummy though!

19
IN dinner I like to eat continental food but while we are talking about sweets and chocolate i like to eat chocolate Uk is a hand made chocolate