CIA Recipe: Coffee Truffles

Here are a few suggestions to making your own chocolate truffles:

Make sure the ganache has enough time to firm in the refrigerator. An hour is a good guideline, but it is okay to leave it longer, even overnight if desired.

Resting the ganache after mixing allows it to harden slightly, which makes scooping much easier.

Dipping the truffles twice creates a thicker chocolate shell, but dipping once provides a faster alternative.

Putting the instant coffee for garnish in a shaker makes it easier to apply.

     
Coffee Truffles

Makes 60 pieces

Ingredients:

8 ounces (1 cup) heavy cream
1 1/2 ounces (2 tablespoons) light corn syrup
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) soft unsalted butter
14 ounces (2 1/3 cups) dark chocolate, chocolate coins, or chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
12 ounces (2 cups) dark coating chocolate, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces, for dipping
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, for garnish

Directions:

1. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the cream and corn syrup in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat. Add the instant coffee granules and stir to dissolve.
4. Add the butter and chopped chocolate or pistols to the cream and stir until smooth and homogeneous.
5. Pour the finished ganache into the baking pan to make a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more until the ganache is firm.
6. Put the ganache in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed using a paddle attachment for 30 seconds. Or stir vigorously in a mixing bowl by hand, using a spatula.
7. Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
8. Using a #100 scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out balls of ganache and place on the sheet pan at room temperature.
9. When all of the ganache has been scooped, roll each portion by hand into a round ball.
10. Follow the heating instructions on the compound coating package to melt the coating.
11. Dip the ganache centers in the coating.
12. After dipping, but before the chocolate sets fully, put a pinch of instant coffee on top of each piece.

Hand-dipping Truffles

1. To use the hand-dipping technique, with a small amount of chocolate coating in the palm of one hand, use the fingertips of the other hand to roll each truffle center in the chocolate until completely covered. To remove excess chocolate, allow the truffle to roll across each of your fingertips on its way onto the prepared tray.

Dipping Using a Dipping Fork

1. Place the rolled ganache center into the bowl of chocolate coating. Using a round dipping fork, push the center into the chocolate to submerge it, and with one swift J motion, invert it and lift it out of the chocolate. Move the fork repeatedly up and down so that the bottom of the dipped center touches the surface of the chocolate. Do this six to eight times.
2. Clean the bottom of the dipped center on the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate from the center. This will prevent a foot from forming when the center is put down.
3. Gently roll the dipped truffle off the loop and onto the prepared tray. Allowing the front of the dipped center to extend past the end of the fork makes it easier to put the finished piece down.

Per truffle: 98 CALORIES, 1 g PROTEIN, 10 g CARBOHYDRATES, 0 g FIBER, 6 g TOTAL FAT (4.5 g saturated fat), 18 mg SODIUM, 6 g CHOLESTEROL

More from the Culinary Institute of America: 

• Recipe: Good Morning Coffee
  
• Recipe: Lemon Chickpea Muffins
  
• Recipe: Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage
  
• Recipe: Wrapped Shrimp with Asian Barbecue Sauce
  

You can also find more recipes (with instruction videos) in the CIA site's recipe section.  

      
For more info: 

• Culinary Institute of America