Chocolate Truffles

Someone on Twitter shared a recipe for chocolate truffles by Alton Brown that had a great tip in it: use an ice cream scoop to coat the truffles in chocolate.

I changed a few of the ingredients and the directions, but use Alton’s basic recipe. Love using a good-quality Dutch-processed cocoa like Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder which is a bit bitter next to the rich chocolate ganache.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• ¼ cup Scotch Whiskey or Grand Marnier (for an orange flavor)
• ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Place 10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and the butter in a medium size bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stirring well after 30 seconds. Allow to cool.
2. Warm the heavy cream and the corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour over the melted chocolate mixture. Let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the Whiskey. Pour the mixture into an 8” x 8” baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate into your hands and roll gently between your palms to create a ball. Place balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Place the cocoa powder on a plate and set aside.
5. Place the 4 ounces each of semisweet and bittersweet chocolates into a medium size bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds, stirring well every 30 seconds.
6. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator. Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Place the truffle into the plate with the cocoa powder. Move the truffle around to coat, leaving the truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, Serve at room temperature.

Makes about 30 truffles.