Skip the candy shop and make chocolate truffles your way. Only 4 ingredients are needed, and you can flavor them to your liking. Perfect for Valentine's Day or Date Night, these easy chocolate truffles will make your sweetheart swoon!
If you're using solid chocolate, use a serrated knife to chop the chocolate into small pieces. Put the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof (preferably microwave-safe) bowl and set aside.
Warm the heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to just simmering with small bubbles (not boiling). This will be about 140 to 150 °F on a digital thermometer.
Pour the hot heavy cream onto the chocolate, cover and let it sit for about 2 to 3 minutes, then start stirring. At first, the mixture will look grainy, but keep stirring until it is smooth.
If the chocolate isn't fully melting (that is, the heavy cream wasn't hot enough), you can heat the mixture in the microwave on 50% powder for 20 seconds, then stir until the chocolate melts. Repeat if needed. If you're using a non-microwave safe bowl, heat the bowl on the stove over an inch of simmering water (in a saucepan just large enough so the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water), stirring until the chocolate fully melts.
If you're making more than one flavor of truffle, separate the ganache into different bowls. Add the vanilla or others flavorings each bowl and stir again.
Pour each ganache flavor into a shallow dish (such as a 8- x 8-inch baking pan or a pie pan, depending on how many flavors of truffles you're making). Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to avoid condensation. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Scoop the set truffle mixture into 1 tablespoon-sized balls using a small cookie scoop and place on a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat, parchment paper, or waxed paper. Chill the balls for 10 minutes to allow them to dry out a bit.
Pour your preferred coating into a small bowl. Working with a few at a time, roll each ball in the bowl. If you're going to dip the truffles in melted chocolate, be sure to temper the chocolate first to get a shiny finish and satisfying snap.
Storage instructions: Place the truffles in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Truffles taste best at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months with or without the coating. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before enjoying.
Make-ahead instructions: Prepare the truffle filling through step 4. The mixture must chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or up to 3 days. If you're chilling it for longer than 4 hours, let the mixture sit on the counter for several minutes to soften before scooping. You can also store the truffle balls without the coatings in the freezer. Allow them to soften before coating them.
This chocolate truffle recipe can easily be halved, but rather than doubling the recipe, make 2 separate batches instead. That way the ganache filling will firm up uniformly in the pan.
Notes
Use pure chocolate - the higher quality chocolate you purchase, the better your truffles will taste. Semi-sweet or dark chocolate make a very intense chocolate truffle and milk chocolate yields a sweeter truffle. I wouldn't recommend using white chocolate in this recipe because it's too thin. The best type of chocolate to use are chocolate wafers or a bar of chocolate. Candy melts (aka candy wafers, confectionery coating, compound coating, or compound chocolate) use cheaper ingredients than in pure chocolate, producing a lesser flavor profile, in my opinion. And save the chocolate chips for another day - they don't melt as smoothly.Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) is the only liquid that will melt the chocolate into the proper truffle consistency. Don't use half-and-half or milk. You can make non-dairy truffles using canned full-fat coconut milk (not the refrigerated kind). Shake it up and use in the recipe as you would heavy cream.Truffle Flavor Variations: It's the flavorings that really differentiate one truffle from another. Here are some flavor variations to try, each one replacing the vanilla extract:
Mint Truffles: Use ¼ teaspoon of pure mint extract
Orange-Vanilla Truffles: Use ¼ teaspoon of Fiori di Sicilia extract
Mocha Truffles: Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of strong coffee (cooled)
Spirited Truffles: Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of your favorite bourbon, whisky, rum, or Kahlua for a boozy kick. Note: using spirits will make the truffles adults-only. Don't serve them to pregnant women, children, or those avoiding alcohol.
You can also vary the truffle flavors with different types of coatings. Think cocoa powder (a classic), colorful sprinkles or coarse sugar, or finely chopped nuts. Or try shredded coconut, chocolate cookie crumbs, or graham crackers. Let your imagination go wild!