Tremendous Truffles

Which came first, the truffle or the truffle?

That is, the fungus or the confection? In fact, the pungent and pricey spherical fungus is the namesake for the popular chocolate, which when rolled in cocoa powder, shares a passing resemblance. While chocolate is an ancient treat, it wasn't until 1828 with the invention of the cocoa press that separated the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids in the beans that a solid chocolate was possible. Until that time chocolate was generally enjoyed as a drink, mixed with hot water, but following the innovations that made solid chocolate possible, European experiments with chocolate expanded greatly. One such experiment led to the creation of ganache, where chopped solid chocolate was whisked with hot cream, yielding a smooth, silky substance which had many applications, one of which happened to be the truffle.

72% dark chocolate, flaked toasted walnut, chopped dried apricot and cardamom

The French and the Swiss vie for the title of first to create a truffle, but the name certainly comes from the French truffle, meaning little mushroom. Then as now, the fungal truffles were prized for their intense earthy, toasted flavor, but they were elusive and were available only to those who could forage for them or afford them, a highly select group. The innovation of the chocolate truffle made from cooled ganache rolled into balls and coated in rich brown cocoa powder which looked like fine dark soil offered the opportunity for a bit of a joke, a more generally affordable petite luxury of chocolate which looked like the fungus that few could afford.

68% dark chocolate, toasted almond and dried cherries with kirchwasser and fresh almond milk

Though early truffles were all made with ganache, the term is now applied to any number of small round confections. I like the ganache centered truffles best though. They melt like rich dark silk (I mean, of course, bamboo silk) in your mouth and the wonderful spectrum of warm, deep chocolate flavors expand and roll across your tongue in smooth waves, inspiring each taste bud to give into the utter pleasure of eating something so delicious.

84% dark chocolate with mayer lemon and thyme coated in rice milk chocolate

And the good news? Making chocolate truffles is way easier than finding fungal truffles, which requires a team of truffle trained pigs. There are absolutely no pigs involved in making truffles and no need for any animal products either. Choose some fantastic dark chocolates and some soy, rice or nut milk or cream, a pinch of salt and some cocoa powder and you're all set. Cooking for Engineers has a nice illustrated step-by-step through the very straight forward process of making basic truffles at home.

Spanish olive oil and Grand Marnier with ground white chocolate, macadamia nuts and course sea salt

A suggestion that I would make which differs from Cooking for Engineers is to pour your ganache into a wider dish. A cake pan or other shallow baking pan works really well. The ganache will cool faster and more evenly than if you pour it into a bowl. I like to work in batches of four or so and by the time I've finished setting up the ganache for the final batch, the first one is ready. Also, I like to roll my truffles by hand. The perfection of scooped truffles takes away from the uniqueness of each truffle and makes them look less natural, moving them further away from their slightly misshapen namesake.

rice milk chocolate with framboise and dried raspberries

You might also think about varying the kind of chocolate you will be using when making truffles rather than just using one kind. Truffles are a great way to experiment with various chocolates and see what you really like. Buy a couple different chocolate bars and make mini batches of truffles, adding in liqueurs, nuts, dried fruits or spices to complement the specific flavors of that chocolate. Alternatively, you can cheat a little and make it super easy on yourself by purchasing chocolate that is already mixed with other things. I've done this with Dagoba, which is a great chocolate to use in this way since they have such a dynamic range of flavors. Equal Exchange could also be good with their cocoa nib, espresso or mint varieties.

Dagoba xocolatl with crushed cocoa nib and fresh ground smoked chili powder

When I get into truffle mode, it's really hard to stop. I feel like I go through my days thinking about all the different kinds of truffles it would be possible to make and how delicious they would all be and how much fun it is to be able to package up many different kinds to give to people. For the past month I've been making truffles regularly as gifts and for parties. They're each so distinct, they feel even more personal and special than cookies or cake. Also, the luxury of being able to taste some many different kinds of chocolate with such a range of accent flavors is a real treat. I lucked upon a great source for very affordable bulk fair trade, organic chocolate this year too, which allowed me to make large batches of many different kinds of truffles to share. Sweet Earth Chocolates is a company that really seems to care about the lands and people who farm the cacao for chocolate and they produce many vegan chocolates, which are all clearly labeled on their site.

84% dark chocolate with freshly brewed espresso and crushed espresso beans, rolled in black cocoa

Most recipes for truffles call for heated cream and a good number of them add in some liqueur, but it's possible to use any kind of liquid. For the above espresso truffle I used a mixture of half soy creamer and half freshly made espresso. For the one below I used a very strongly brewed chai tea mixed with freshly made almond milk, which I also used in the cherry truffle. Fresh made nut milks do a lot to add flavor and smoothness to truffles since they have good fats and a nice thick creaminess. Soak a cup of blanched almonds overnight in water, drain and then blend with three cups of water and a pinch of sea salt. Strain the mixture with cheesecloth, squeezing the pulp well to extract all of the liquid. You will then have a delicious fresh nut milk to use in truffles. Add a little agave and vanilla to any of the milk that remains and have a delicious drink for yourself.

spicy chai in black cocoa

Don't be afraid of spicing up your truffles or using wild flavors in them. Some people probably won't go for them (and you may offend some sensitive palates) but others will love them and be drawn into the dynamically different chocolates. I'd say the hit of this season was my olive oil and orange truffle which was rolled in chopped macademia nuts and white chocolate and sprinkled with a course sea salt. It was my favorite, but I didn't know how others would react. The results were almost universally very positive though--the sweet, rich, salt complexity won people over. The spicy sweet chai truffles were very popular too. There's something to combining opposing flavors that works very nicely, especially in such small bites.

64% dark chocolate, fresh hazelnut milk and frangelico, rolled in hazelnut flour

This was another nut milk based truffle made the same way the almond milk was. Hazelnut is absolutely one of my favorite flavors and the combination of chocolate and hazelnut is a perennial favorite all around.

67% dark chocolate fresh ginger orange cookie truffles

I greatly appreciate the smoothness of truffles, but did experiment this year with a couple differently textured truffles, including the cookie truffles above. Apparently, in Canada there is a kind of truffle known as the Harvey truffle which makes use of ground cookies and chocolate. I'd also seen a cookies and cream truffle recipe bounce around veg recipe sites making use of vegan oreo-style cookies and cream cheese, so I decided to try it which a different kind of homemade cookie, my favorite fresh spicy ginger cookie. With about two cups of finely ground cookie crumbs, a container of Tofutti non-hydrogenated cream cheese, 16 oz of chopped chocolate, and 1/4 cup of hot soy creamer, I made these and I have to say I probably wouldn't do so again. The flavor was great, but could be achieved in a different way and the texture was a little doughy and not at all the smooth lovely melting quality that I prize in truffles.

crushed cocoa nib hazelnut and frangelico truffles

This experiment in texture, however, was a different story. These were my standard hazelnut and frangelico truffles, but instead of rolling them in cocoa powder, I dipped them in melted chocolate and rolled them in crushed cocoa nibs. The crunch and contrast were delightful and the earthy, subtle chocolate flavor of the nibs was a perfect complement to the sweet, nuttiness of the creamy ganache center. Toasted nuts would also be a great way to get this contrast in texture and to add even more flavor to your truffles.

Basic Truffles

16 oz. chopped chocolate
1/2-3/4 cup liquid (depending on desired firmness, more liquid makes for a softer truffle)
pinch of sea salt
unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling

Simply heat your liquid (combination of liqueur, creamer, fresh nut milk or other non-dairy milk) and stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth. Pour into a flat pan and allow the mixture to cool and set in the refrigerator. When set, scoop out tablespoon sized portions, roll into balls and then coat in cocoa powder.

Vary this basic recipe by adding in any dried or dehydrated chopped fruit, nuts, or spices. Also, make use of different chocolates and liquids for great variety.