Chocolate honey truffles for Valentine’s Day

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY !

VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL RECIPES DAY 4

DESSERT

I have come across a very beautiful piece written by Bob Marley on “Love & Relationships ” and it truly echoes my emotions and understanding about it. It beautifully summarizes everything about “true love” and it is bit long, so I restrain myself from adding anything extra to it, which is not said before. Here it is –

” Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are.

A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.”
― Bob Marley

We had our shares of kitchen disasters, so what was once my fool-proof method (I thought I have perfected the ganache), in an un-explained state of my excited mind, I heat the cream in microwave, could not estimate the temperature of cream and that results in grainy ganache ! So much effort (read dark chocolates, heavy cream and orange liqueur) goes into waste ! At that point I thought I should cry out loud ! and what a disaster day, off topic – my dishwasher is also broken !

I took a deep breath, consoles (it never happened before) and condoled myself of ganache death and then starts googling – HOW TO FIX A BROKEN / GRAINY GANACHE !

Dark chocolate bars and truffles coating assembly line

As per the chocolatiers rules, you should not throw the chocolates unless you burnt it. Right ! That means there is still some hope to rectify my dead ganache ! I followed their method, re – emulsify it and voila I GOT MY GANACHE BACK ! Now I can do my “Happy Dance” !

What I did to get back my dead ganache – The reincarnated ganache – “Divide the ganache roughly in to two parts. Warm one half over a double boiler (no need to buy one – place a large glass bowl over a small saucepan and keep it in mind that water should not touch the bowl )and heat till it reaches a temperature of 130 F degree. Now I don’t have candy thermometer (and that means sooner I should buy one !) , so I have to rely on my calculated guess. With the help of silicone spoons, I keep tasting it until it felt sufficiently warm. Then I added few semi-sweet chocolate (dark) and kept stirring it, until it looks like ganache !

Dead (Grainy) ganache on left and Re-incarnated ganache on right

The other half of the dead ganache should be at 60 F (that was the room temperature) so I dont have to give a ice bath to the ganache. I stirred it and stream it into the hot re – emulsified ganache. Combine the two really well until you got it back !

Here are some of the links that helps me in making these delicious chocolate truffles –

1) How to fix a broken / grainy gaanche

2) Homemade truffles can beat the gourmet stores, check her truffles so inviting !

3) Making chocolate truffles like a pro, so that people can think you as a chef ! Check this video !

4) I have used Ghiradelli chocolates mostly in this recipe and elsewhere too , tips for handling their chocolates.

Recipe: Chocolate honey truffles for Valentine’s Day

Summary: Chocolate honey truffles for Valentine’s Day

Ingredients

For Ganache
4 oz – Dark chocolate
4 oz – Heavy cream
1 tbsp – butter (unsalted)
2 tbsp – Honey
1 tsp – Vanilla extract
2 tsp – Orange liqueur
Truffle coatings
Cocoa powder spiked with paprika
Crushed pistachios
Chocolate vermicelli
Colorful sprinkles

Instructions

Roughly chop the chocolates, or else if you have grater then grate the chocolates.
In a heavy bottom small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle simmer.
Pour the cream onto the chopped chocolate and let it cover for 30 seconds
Heat the honey until it starts bubbling and it to the chocolates.
Start mixing the chocolate and cream by using a silicone spatula. Just making a cutting action or 8 mix the chocolates and cream, a vigorous stirring may infuse more air bubbles into the ganache, which is not desirable.
Softened the butter and add it to the chocolates, blend it well.
Let the ganache cool slightly before adding the alcohol or other flavourings.
Let the flavouring set for few minutes, give it a final stir and cool to room temperature before wrapping it with a cling film and let it chill for hours, may be overnight. For quick-setting, freeze it for an hour.
Remove and with the help of spoon, or melon baller or ice cream scooper, scoop out small portions of ganache (it should be firm enough to form a ball).
Grease your palm with unsalted butter and make small chocolate balls and immediately roll them in the coating.
Chill them until needed.

Quick notes

Base flavouring can be of any type – choose your flavours from dark rum, cognac, or even beer.

If you want to stay away from rum infused truffles, then you can add simple pure vanilla extract or fruit liqueurs – like strawberry, orange, raspberry or else lavender oils, orange oils, kahlua etc.

Water is bad for chocolates, so in the entire process of making chocolate truffles, do not let a single drop of water sneaks into the chocolate ganache.

Preparation time: 30 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Culinary tradition: French

My rating 5 stars: ★★★★★ 1 review(s)

~~More good pictures will follow tomorrow as it takes time to set the ganache properly.~~

We have updated the post with latest photographs, hope you will love it.

Have a lovely weekend ahead !

Until next

Sukanya

February 14, 2013 By Sukanya Ghosh

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About Sukanya Ghosh

I am Sukanya Ghosh, the writer, traveler, photographer and the home chef behind this blog. I believe every food has a story to tell and am on a mission to discover them.