Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Happy Valentine’s Day! Bryan and I are not too into Valentine’s Day. We haven’t really had any celebration on this day over the years. But Valentine’s Day is definitely t a great excuse for me to make something chocolatey and tasty. This year, I made my first chocolate truffles. Creamy and rich. With a twist, I made the truffles with raspberry jam. That added some extra flavor into the little delicious goodies! To make them prettier, I covered the truffles in melted chocolate and decorated them with red sugar crystals. They were not the perfect looking chocolate, but it was a lot of fun to make, and the truffles tasted wonderful!

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles (Adapted from Serious Eats)

15 – 24 truffles

Ingredients:

–   1 lb semisweet chocolate with cacao content about 60%

–   ½ cup of heavy cream

–   ¼ cup seedless raspberry preserves or jam

–   1 tablespoon unsalted butter

–   1 tablespoon orange juice or raspberry liquor

–   crystal sugars, sprinkles, or anything you like (for decorating)

Directions:

1. Separate the chocolate into half. Half-pound is for the outer shell, and the other half-pound is for the chocolate mixture inside. Chopped them finely with a heavy knife.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat up the cream and jam together, stir constantly with a rubber spatula. Once the mixture begins to boil, there will be small bubbles formed along the side of the pan. Remove from heat. Stir in half-pound chocolate, butter, and liquor. Wait 1 – 2 minutes until most of the chocolate and butter is melted.
3. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture until it is thick, smooth, and glossy, which should look like chocolate pudding. If the chocolate mixture looks curdles or oily, add a few drops of cream to help re-emulsify it. Leave it in a cool place, and let it firm up for at least 3 – 4 hours.
4. Line two baking sheets with two parchment papers.
5. Before rolling out the chocolate balls, put the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes. Scoop out small balls with a melon baller or spoon. Roll each one on the palms of your hands. Place the chocolate balls on one baking sheet. Refrigerate them for 30 minutes, until firm.
6. Meanwhile, place 2/3 of the half-pound chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, check the temperature. When the temperature is around 115˚F, remove from the pan.
7. Stir the melted chocolate with a rubber spatula. Add the rest of the chocolate little by little. Stir until the chocolate is shiny. The temperature should be about 90˚F.
8. To test the chocolate, take a metal knife or spoon and dip it in the chocolate. Put it in the fridge for 1 – 2 minutes. If the test comes out totally set up with a gloss (not streaky or blotchy), the chocolate is being tempered properly. If the chocolate is cooling too quickly and it is hard to work with, warm it slightly to just 92˚F.
9. Dip the chocolate balls into the melted chocolate one by one. By using two forks, scoop out the chocolate-coated ball, and tap slightly to drip off the extra chocolate. Place the balls on another baking sheet and let it firm up. Repeat with the rest of the balls. Decorate the truffles before the chocolate cool completely. Once the chocolate is firmed up, it is ready.
10. For storage, the truffles can be kept at room temperature for up to a week. Or you can keep them in the fridge for 2 – 3 weeks. The truffles taste best at room temperature.

Tips:

1. You can always coat the truffles with cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. That will be a lot easier, and less work.

Source: Read