Truffles

This chocolate confection is often associated as a luxurious gourmet dessert.  Chocolate truffles are, in the most traditional sense, hand-rolled ganache or chocolate and cream, then covered or sprinkled with cocoa powder.  It is called as such as it looks like a European fungus, which is also called a truffle.

Truffle Trivia

• There are many accounts about how the chocolate truffle was invented, with some of them even going back to the 1850s, or that it happened in Paris or Switzerland.
• One of the most renowned stories about the invention of truffles can be connected to French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier in the 1920s. it was said that one of his apprentices accidentally spilled hot cream into a bowl of chopped chocolate.  Escoffier took the bowl and stirred the mixture until he noticed that it became a sauce that can coat and create other dishes and it can be turned into a chocolate paste that can be formed into a ball.  He then rolled this ball in cocoa powder. And the rest is history!
• May 2 is acknowledged as the National Truffle Day.
• The earliest known authentic recipe of chocolate truffles was documented in the 1920 in the 19^th edition of Rigby’s Reliable Candy Teacher.

Truffle Buying Guide

With chocolate truffles often being thought of as a high-end, luxury chocolate dessert, chocolatiers, dessert shops, and gourmet food producers have cashed in on this irresistible treat.  These are often packed together in these beautiful, elegant boxes, which makes it great as a gift idea for a special someone, or to be shared by everyone!  There are commercially sold truffles as well, that can be easily bought online or at supermarkets.

Truffle Production & Farming in Texas

Chocolate and dessert sellers and producers are all around Texas, with some of them even offering handmade and all-natural chocolate treats using natural, organic, and fresh ingredients!  This makes satisfying the Texan truffle cravings easier!  Some even use family-heirloom recipes making their truffles rich in taste and bursting with history!

Preservatives, Additives, and chemicals

Truffles are often made using a simple list of ingredients:  cream, chocolate, and cocoa powder.  But as this dessert gets innovated, more and more ingredients are added to the list.  Some of the usual add-ons include butter and liqueur and other spices to infuse more flavor to the truffle, as well as other finishing and decorating materials like edible gold, cookie crumbs, nuts, seeds, and more!  That’s where buyers should be more vigilant – in what is inside the truffles they will be consuming.

For commercially sold truffles, emulsifiers and other ingredients are added to keep it shelf-stable.  This includes soy lecithin.  Lecithin is derived from many sources such as egg yolks, liver, peanuts, and most commonly in soy. It is usually used as an emulsifier, allowing oil and water to be mixed together. It also helps extend shelf life and reduce the stickiness of the food. But while it may seem harmless, the controversy comes to how the lecithin is produced. Others still deem it as artificial since it is extracted using harsh chemicals, or it is derived from genetically modified soybean plants. Make sure to look for the “organic soy lecithin” label when you buy your food.

Packaging

Chocolate truffles are often individually wrapped in plastic, either plain then covered with a decorative paper or cellophane, or printed plastic wraps.  For those packing multiple truffles, boxes lined with individual wax or paper cups, or sectioned and layered boxes to prevent the truffles from melting and sticking to each other, keeping it neat and pretty!

Enjoying Truffles

Chocolate truffles can be eaten on its own, or paired with champagne and wines!  Now that is truly indulgent and decadent!  And can be a great way to impress your S.O. on a date night!  Truffles are also not limited to just the ganache and cocoa powder, as different unique variations have also been invented, even using different types of liquors, herbs, spices, and even chilis to add more layers to the flavor!

There are also different truffles all-around the world, showcasing each country, making it a must-try in every visit!  There’s the Belgian truffle, also called Belgian chocolates or Belgian pralines, which has a harder chocolate shell with an almost liquid filling made of ganache, nut pastes, or buttercream.  The Swiss truffle is made by adding melted chocolate to a boiling mixture of butter and cream then poured into molds, and then dusted with cocoa powder like the original French variation.  The American truffle meanwhile sports a half-egg shape and are usually any filled chocolate.  Canadian truffle is like the American truffle, but they add peanut butter and graham crackers as fillings inside the chocolate.  There is also the Brazilian kind, or the brigadeiro.

Storage

Truffles must be stored in a cool place, or the refrigerator to preserve its quality and shelf-life.  It must not be left out at room temperature for very long.  It must also be packed in an airtight container to keep the other smells and flavors in the refrigerator from infusing itself into the truffles.  It is said that the all-natural truffles can hold for a week in the refrigerator before going stale.  Keep it in the freezer to preserve it for about a month, wrapping it individually in wax paper, before packing into airtight containers.

Homemade Chocolate Truffles

Truffles are easy as 1, 2, 3, with three important ingredients, as published by NY Times!

Ingredients:

• 7/8 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, as needed

Instructions:

1. Using a pot, heat the cream until it steams.
2. Place the chocolate in a bowl, and pour the hot cream into the bowl. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and incorporated into the cream.
3. Chill the mixture for about 1 to 2 hours. Shape the ganache into balls, by scooping about a tablespoon and hand-rolling it into a ball, or use a chilled melon baller.  Place the truffles into a plate or baking sheet.
4. If the truffles become too soft, place back in the refrigerator or freezer for a couple of minutes.
5. Finish your truffles by sprinkling or rolling them in cocoa powder, confectioner’s sugar or a mixture of sugar and ground cinnamon.
6. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.