Mother's Day Chocolate Truffle Trio - Recipes

Mother's Day Trio of Truffles Recipes

Miso Caramel Ganache

35% Cream 75g 
Glucose 2g
Sugar 50g
Butter 15g
Milk chocolate 20g
Sea salt 5g 
White miso paste 3g

Method:

1. Combine cream and glucose in small pot, warm slightly
2. Dry caramelize sugar until deep amber 
3. Slowly add cream and glucose to caramel, whisking continuously 
4. Return to boil, add butter, salt and miso 
5. Strain over milk chocolate 
6. Emulsify, cool to 30C and pipe into truffle shells 

Raspberry Caramel Method

35% Cream 50g 
Glucose 2g
Sugar 90g
Raspberry puree 25g
Butter 30g 

Method:

1. Make raspberry puree; thaw frozen raspberries, press through sieve. Discard seeds/pulp. Scale to 30g
2. Combine cream and glucose in small pot, warm slightly 
3. Dry caramelize sugar until light amber 
4. Slowly add cream to caramel; whisk continuously 
5. Add raspberry puree and butter 
6. Return to gentle simmer, stirring continuously 
7. Once butter is melted, strain and cool to 28C, pipe into truffle shells 
   
   Note: Cream may be infused with rose petals for an elevated flavour! 

Infused Ganache Tea or Coffee

Ground espresso 2g 
Earl grey tea 2g
35% cream 50g
Glucose 5g
Dark chocolate 90g 

Method

1. Infuse the cream: In a small pot, combine cream with either the tea leaves or the ground coffee. Bring to simmer for 1 min. Remove from heat, cover and steep for 3 minutes. Strain. 
2. Return cream to pot, add glucose and bring to boil. 
3. Immediately pour infused cream over chocolate. Rest a few minutes, emulsify with whisk. 
4. Enhance the flavours EARL GREY: Add drop of orange extract ESPRESSO: Add a pinch of cinnamon 
5. Cool and pipe into molds at 30C. 

NOTES: Glucose may be substituted with equal amount of corn syrup Ganache may be refrigerated for 3 weeks, or frozen for up 2 months. Bring to room temperature and then rewarm gently to 30C If ganache splits, rewarm to 35C and emulsify

NOTES

Ganache An emulsion of chocolate and liquid – the temperature and ratio of ingredients determine its consistency and use ranging from glaze, filling, whipped frosting or base for truffles. In its simple form, ganache components include:

Chocolate couverture chocolate with 100% cocoa butter yields a superior product  

Liquid 35% whipping cream is the most common liquifier, this may be infused with vanilla bean, herbs, spices, citrus zest, flowers, teas or coffee water, fruit/vegetable juice, tea may be used as the liquid component too!

Glucose Butter Alcohol maintains smooth texture by preventing sugar crystallization, stabilizes the emulsion by lowering water activity from the cream, extends shelf life may be replaced with corn syrup
(optional) increases silkiness and mouthfeel
(optional) adds flavour and extends shelf life

Flavouring salt, spices, extracts, food grade oils

Infusions cream can be infused with citrus zest, tea, coffee beans etc. Bring to steaming with infusion of choice, cut the heat and allow to steep 15min, strain. Rescale and add more cream if necessary

Ratios Ratios are adjusted to determine the consistency of the ganache. For truffles, the ratios are in relation to the 100% liquid. Think of this as “parts”: 1 part cream: 2 parts chocolate, etc) Remember: Recipes block you in, ratios set you free!

Basic Ganache Ratios for Truffles 

Method: 

1. Chop chocolate finely and place in bowl 
2. Heat cream and glucose until steaming, whisk occasionally to prevent burning.       
(If infusing the cream, heat with inclusion, remove from heat, cover and steep for 20 min. Strain, scale and add more cream if needed. Reheat the cream until steaming.) 
3. Pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate and push chocolate down under the surface of the cream. Let the mixture sit until chocolate is melted (2 min). 
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate until an emulsion forms. Add optional butter, alcohol, flavourings and mix well. Allow to cool to desired temperature (30C for piping) 
5. Ganache may be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, freezer up to 3 months. To thaw, allow to come to room temperature, rewarm gently if necessary 

Note: Ganache may be chilled, scooped and rolled by hand. Alternatively, it may be piped into 1” tall mounds, chilled and rolled by hand. Once rolled, truffles may be tossed directly into cocoa powder (store in fridge and enjoy within 3 days). Traditionally, truffles are enrobed in tempered chocolate, garnished and stored for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate Pre-Crystallization (Tempering)

In its pure form, dark chocolate contains cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar and emulsifiers. Milk chocolate contains added milk solids and white chocolate contains added milk solids but no cocoa solids.

Couverture chocolate has extra cocoa butter added to it (30-40% by weight) yielding a chocolate with smoother texture, glossy sheen and increased fluidity when melted. Couverture is preferred for molding, dipping and enrobing.

Cocoa butter is polymorphic, meaning it can crystallize in different forms. Pure carbon is also polymorphic – it can crystallize into graphite (pencil lead) or diamonds depending on the crystalline structure and the conditions in which the crystals are formed.

Function of Tempering: When chocolate is melted, it looses its crystalline structure. As it cools it reforms crystals - the problem is that it can reform any one of six crystalline structures, only one of these crystalline structures (Beta 5) is stable and the others are unstable resulting in fat or sugar bloom. By melting chocolate and seeding it (adding stable crystals) we achieve the correct structure resulting in good gloss, snap, contraction and shelf stability. The key factors for success are:

TEMPERATURE to form stable cocoa butter crystals chocolate is melted to remove all crystalline structures, then cooled to reform stable structures

MOVEMENT agitation promotes cocoa butter crystallization by forming and distributing them evenly

TIME / PATIENCE(!)  cocoa butter crystals do not instantly appear as soon as the chocolate is stirred at the right temperature and the amount of time varies with the product

Pre-Crystallizing Chocolate – Seeding Method

Prepare a bain-marie with simmering water.

Scale the chocolate and set aside 20% seed chocolate. Example: for 500g chocolate, set aside 100g for seed and melt 400g

1. Melt chocolate to 45-50C Remove bowl from heat and stir to ensure chocolate is completely melted Check the temperature – rewarm if necessary If chocolate is above 50C allow it to cool before proceeding

2. Add seed chocolate Stir continuously - monitor the temperature occasionally

3. Test chocolate at 32C Take a large sample (2x2”) set at room temp, away from heat source Continue to stir the chocolate gently. Do not reheat. After 3-5 minutes, check the test: note appearance and setting

SOLID CHOCOLATE, SATIN FINISH, NO STREAKS? Indicates proper crystallization Rewarm to working temperature if necessary, use right away

SOLID CHOCOLATE WITH STREAKS? Indicates insufficient amount of stable crystals present Take a second test, continue stirring chocolate, after 3-5 minutes check test

LIQUID CHOCOLATE NO SETTING? Indicates insufficient crystallization, repeat the process

4. Rewarm the chocolate to working temperature
Place the bowl of chocolate on the simmering bain-marie, count to 3, remove the bowl, stir well and check the temperature. Repeat if necessary to reach working temperature.

DO NOT WARM PAST 34C (stable Beta 5 Crystals melt at this temperature)

GENERAL WORKING TEMPERATURES Dark 32C Milk 30C

NOTES White 28C Unused chocolate should be poured out onto parchment lined tray. Once set store in a cool dry place for future use. NEVER put chocolate in the fridge/freezer!