There is something mischievously gratifying about giving away a dessert that is secretly absurdly easy to make, especially when people think you’ve pulled off the culinary equivalent of a triathlon. That is what these truffles are. They are primarily cream and dark chocolate, with just a whiff of chili, sea salt and sesame to round out the flavor, and a light dusting of cocoa powder to finish.
I love that truffles are intended to look like their namesake, that prized, tuber-shaped mushroom sniffed out by pigs under oak canopies. It gives the maker some breathing room – those lumps and irregularities become an essential part of the finished confection. And it gives them character, I think, because no two are quite the same, and each bears the imprint of the hand that made it.
Speaking of hands, yours will get a little messy in the making, but isn’t that part of the fun?
Chocolate Truffles with Sesame and Chili is part of the February Seasonal Food Guide
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES WITH SESAME AND CHILI
Yield: 45-60 truffles
7 ounces dark, bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or equivalent)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Warm the cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
Break the chocolate into small pieces in a glass bowl. Have a whisk and a wooden spoon on hand.
As soon as the cream begins to boil, remove it from heat and pour over the chocolate.
Whisk the chocolate and the cream together in a circular motion, breaking up any stubborn pieces of chocolate with the spoon.
When the chocolate is fully dissolved into the cream (you now have ganache!), slowly add the sea salt, chili powder and sesame.
Place the ganache in the fridge to cool for one hour.
Take out a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Using a rounded teaspoon, scoop little balls of ganache onto the parchment paper.
Freeze the truffles for about fifteen minutes.
Remove from the freezer, and quickly form the truffles into roughly round shapes.
Toss them in the cocoa powder and you’re set. You’ve now made some gorgeous truffles!
Store in the fridge for up to a week. You can freeze them as well. They may lose their coating from condensation. If so, toss again in the cocoa powder.
by Kimberley
show hide 9 comments