Yield: about 60 truffles (no need to double the recipe)
Ingredients
- 11 ounces Valrhona chocolate (56% cacao)
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- Valrhona cocoa powder for dusting
Directions
- Finely chop 8 ounces of the chocolate and put in a bowl.
- Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy saucepan.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate, mashing any big pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Stir with a whisk in circles (don’t beat or you’ll incorporate air), starting in the center and working your way to the edge, until the ganache is smooth.
- Let stand at room temperature until thick enough to hold a shape, about 1 hour, then, using a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch opening or tip, pipe into mounds (about 3/4 inch high and 1 inch wide) on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt 3 more ounces of the same melted chocolate and smear some on a gloved hand. Gently rub each chilled truffle to coat lightly with chocolate. (The secret to a delicate coating of chocolate is to roll each truffle in a smear of melted chocolate in your hand.)
- Toss the truffles in unsweetened cocoa powder so they look like their namesakes, freshly dug from the earth. A fork is the best tool for tossing truffles in cacao. Shake truffles in a sieve to eliminate excess cacao.
- Store truffles in the refrigerator.