Chocolate Truffles

Yield:36 truffles

Chocolate truffles are my Christmas staple and occasionally they are used as bribes for friends. People are always impressed with them, but they're really very simple to make. The ganache, which is the chocolate and cream base for truffles, can be used in many ways. Warmed up, it can be used as chocolate sauce. Cooled slightly and whipped, it can be used as frosting. Fruit can be dipped in it while it is in a liquid state, and strawberries are especially good dipped and then chilled. Eaten from the spoon is always good too! I prefer Ghirardelli chocolate for truffles.

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use Ghirardelli or another good quality chocolate) 1 cup heavy cream Optional: 1 lb melted coating chocolate or tempered chocolate chocolate sprinkles chopped nuts cocoa powder cocoa butter transfer sheets

1. Bring cream just to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the warm cream over chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes and then use a hand-mixer on low to combine until silky.
Add any desired flavorings at this point.

2. Let mixture stand until it is the texture of clay and can be rolled into balls. Roll chocolate mixture into balls the size of walnuts. If you're going to dip the truffles in melted chocolate, let them sit on parchment paper until fully hardened. If you're going to roll them in a coating, do that now. Some good coatings are chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles, powdered sugar or cocoa powder. If dipping the truffles in chocolate, wait until fully hardened. Melt 1 pound of coating chocolate or melt and temper good chocolate and pour into a large bowl. With clean hands. roll the truffles in the melted chocolate and place on wax paper to set up. If you're an experienced truffle-maker, you can dip squares of truffle mixture and then press a trasfer sheet onto the top to transfer a fancy pattern.

3. Refrigerate or freeze the truffles until needed. The truffles will keep for a week in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.