Bing Cherry Layered Chocolate Truffles

I’m relaxing, sipping at a three year old homemade Bing cherry Port Wine, while writing this addendum to my routine  Sunday Healthy Chocolate Blog.  Didn’t want to leave you hanging on the Bing cherry addition I promised you a week ago.

I’ve been experimenting with “layered” truffles.

1. They’re easier to make, for us non-professionals (and I count myself in that category)
2. They’re faster to make than filled truffles, if less fancy.
3. I wanted a filling that would stay gelled at room temperature
4. I wanted MORE filling and MORE taste than a filled truffle can give you!

So, building on last Sunday’s traditional truffle recipe (below):

Bing Cherry Layered Chocolate Truffles

Makes approximately 64 one inch truffles.

Ingredients for 1 recipe of Traditional Chocolate Truffles*/** 7/19/09 blog: http://www.sichocolatetruffles.com/2009/07/

Ingredients for 1 recipe of Bing cherry Gel Layer (below)

12 ounces dark chocolate for dipping, if desired.

* To make low glycemic  truffles,  replace sweetened chocolate with unsweetened (99 – 100% cacao) and 1 tablespoon of blue agave nectar per ounce of chocolate; e.g. For 12 oz chocolate:  add 12 tablespoons blue agave nectar , reduce the liquid by 1/4 – 1/2 cup.

** To make sugar-free truffles, replace sweetened chocolate with unsweetened (99 – 100% cacao) and 1 tablespoon of xylitol per ounce of chocolate; e.g. For 12 oz chocolate:  disolve 12 tablespoons of xylitol into the liquid prior to adding the chocolate.

Bing cherry Gel Layer

1 ¾ cups pitted Bing cherries, crushed or puréed.  You can puree the fruit in a blender or processor.

- should have about 1½ cups seedless Bing cherry puree.  Use chlorine/fluoride free water to bring to 1 1/2 cups if necessary.

Sweeten to taste with blue agave nectar or xylitol to sweeten to your taste.  Bing cherry usually needs no sweetening.

3 tablespoons agar agar flakes

Making the Gel:

Place puree into a pan.  Sprinkle agar onto the puree.  Heat the Bing cherry puree on low heat until it boils.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until the agar agar dissolves.

Line an 8″ x 8″ square pan with parchment or plastic wrap.  Pour the Bing cherry puree gel into the pan and even the surface.  Chill until firmly set, at least 2 hours.

Bing Cherry Chocolate Truffle – Assembly

Prepare the Traditional Chocolate Truffles according to the first two steps of “Making the truffles”.  While still warm, pour half of the ganache into the 8″ x 8″ lined pan.  Spread the ganache evenly over the bottom of the pan. Keep the remaining ganache warm over the hot water in the bottom of the double boiler.

Invert the Bing cherry Gel layer over the chocolate layer. Remove the parchment or plastic wrap.

Pour the remaining ganache over the Bing cherry layer and spread the top layer evenly.  Place in the refrigerator until set.  Chill for several hours to set.

Cover a flat cutting board with parchment paper.  Invert the layered truffles onto the parchment.  Remove the parchment pan lining from the truffle and discard.

With a long thin sharp knife, square off the sides of the truffle block.  Save the trims for snacking.  Cut the block into approximately 1″ squares.

Serve as is or dip in bittersweet couverture chocolate.   See ” Tempering Chocolate,”  Blog dated 7/12/09  http://www.sichocolatetruffles.com/2009/07/

Chocolate Truffle Recipe: An easy one

Here is the firt step in truffle making.

This simple to make recipe is the foundation of all my other chocolate truffles.   All the other truffle recipes are derived from this one.  Use your favorite semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate.  My personal favorites for this recipe are Dagoba Free Trade bars, Theo Artisan Chocolates, or a combination of 6 oz. Ghiradelli semisweet baking bar and 6 oz. Sharffen Berger 99%.

To your health,  Enjoy!

Traditional Chocolate Truffles

Makes approximately 1¼ pounds of truffles or 40 truffles.

1½ cups whipping cream

1½ tablespoons butter

12 ounces good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine or grated,

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract (optional)

These truffles can be dipped in additional chocolate, or use unsweetened cocoa powder, chopped chocolate or finely chopped nuts for coating truffles.

Suggested Nuts: Almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia pecans, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, etc.  Each nut imparts a slightly different flavor.  Try toasting whole nuts prior to chopping.

Making the Truffles:

Put about an inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler and bring to a simmer.  Set the top pan over the simmering water.  The bottom of the top pan should not touch the water.  Do not cover.

Place the butter in the top section of the double boiler until melted. Add the cream.  Heat uncovered, until hot, 115° F (46° C).  Turn off the heat.  Remove the top of the double boiler to the counter and add the chopped chocolate and the vanilla extract to the butter and cream.  Stir occasionally, until just melted and smooth.  Pour mixture into a bowl.

Allow the chocolate to cool and set up for several hours.

Finishing Your Truffles:

Scoop out level tablespoon quantities, or smaller, and set on a plate.

Roll the truffles into balls.  If too soft, place in refrigerator until set.  If desired, coat the palms of your hands with a dusting of cocoa powder to make the rolling easier.

Dip the rolled truffles in a good quality, tempered chocolate; or

Roll the truffles in cocoa powder, finely chopped chocolate or finely chopped nuts, coating the entire surface.

Keep chilled until ready to serve.  Serve in paper or foil cups for an elegant presentation.

In  “The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles” there are dark chocolate truffles sweetened with blue agave nectar, sugar-free truffles, sweetened with xylitol, white chocolate truffles and double chocolate truffles.  All the truffles are gluten free.  Some are vegan, some have espresso and some are spirited.  All are incredibly delicious.

Fresh Bing Cherries Stuffed with White Chocolate, Dipped in Dark Chocolate

Cherries…

200 pounds of red ripe cherries!  What in the world would you do with that many cherries?  The day after I pick, I wine in more ways than one, and eat cherries all day long as I rinse off the fruit and remove any stems.  The first 160 or so pounds go into various buckets to make several varieties of cherry wine using different yeasts to bring out different qualities and subtleties in each wine.  Cherry wine is one of my favorites.

So, I took a trip to Eastern Washington this past Thursday to pick around 200 pounds of the most delectable fresh Bing cherries. They are dark wine colored, rich, juicy and delectably ripe, right off the trees; unsprayed, pesticide free fruits.  The cherries are even more of a treat this warm July day, as over 80% of the previous year’s crop was lost to an unseasonably cold spring and several inhospitable freezes.

So what has this got to do with chocolate?

After making hundreds (maybe thousands) of various truffles to perfect and retest recipes for my latest book The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles, I am continuing to experiment.  The book will be available as soon as the photos are edited and the index is complete.

I’ve been toying with a different way to make truffles that is incredibly easier and quicker.  Instead of filling the truffles, I am layering them.  They are very attractive to look at and delicious to eat.

With fresh cherries to play with, I couldn’t resist a layered chocolate truffle with a layer of cherries.  I should have a recipe to share with you by next week.

For now, phyto-nutrient rich cherries dipped in tempered chocolate or fondue sounds superb.  They taste so good and are good for you.  Its a fresh fruit, gluten-free, low glycemic,  depending on the chocolate you use,  and what you use to sweeten it with, if anything.

Fresh Bing Cherries Stuffed with White Chocolate, Dipped in Dark Chocolate

Select  a pound of nice plump ripe Bing cherries with stems.  Leave the stems on the cherries and carefully pit them.  Stuff a good quality white chocolate chip into the pit-cavity and dip into tempered chocolate (below) or chocolate fondue ( blog from 06.07.2009) http://www.sichocolatetruffles.com/2009/06

Tempering Dark Chocolate

1 pound (16 ounces) of good quality dark, semisweet, or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped or shaved.  I use Sharffen Berger 99%.  For coatings, I don’t add any sweetener, but you could if you desire to.  Blue agave is the easiest to add a tablespoon or two of and stir into the melted chocolate.  Don’t use chocolate chips for the dipping chocolate. They contain other ingredients and will not temper properly

Put about an inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler ( 5/30/09 Blog: http://www.sichocolatetruffles.com/2009/05/ ) and bring to a simmer.  Place chopped chocolate in the top of the double boiler. Set the top pan over the simmering water.  The bottom of the top pan should not touch the water.  Do not cover the top pan.

Melt 12 ounces of the chopped chocolate in the top of an uncovered double boiler, reserving 4 ounces.

Put a candy thermometer in the chocolate and do not allow the temperature to exceed 100° F (38° C).  Keeping the temperature lower than 99° F (37° C) is best to ensure that the cocoa and cocoa butter won’t separate.

Heat the chocolate over the barely simmering water until it is melted or when the thermometer reads 95° – 100° F (35° – 38°C).

Immediately remove the pan from the burner and remove the top of the double boiler from over the water.  Add 2 ounces (half) of the reserved chopped chocolate to help the molecular structuring.  Stir until the chocolate is fully melted. Add the remaining chocolate and continue stirring until all the chocolate is melted.

Cool until the temperature of the chocolate reaches 83° F (28° C).  Stirring will speed the cooling process.

To complete the tempering process, it is necessary to reheat the chocolate one last time.  Return the top of the double boiler over the hot water and allow the temperature to rise to 90° F (32° C).  The chocolate is now tempered and good for dipping.  Make sure to keep the temperature between 85° and 90° F (29° – 32° C). (White and Milk chocolate should only be brought back to 84° – 86° F (29° – 30° C) for optimal results.)

To help maintain the optimal dipping temperatures, you can alternately remove and replace the top of the double boiler to try to keep the temperature around 86° – 88° F (30° – 31° C) or you’ll lose the temper.  If that happens, you need to cool and then re-temper the chocolate.  If you do you’ll need about 2 – 4 more ounces of chopped un-melted chocolate to assist the structuring process again.

To determine if the chocolate is tempered, drizzle a thin line of the chocolate from the spoon on to a glass plate or stainless steel surface.  The chocolate should set up firm and dry with a matte finish within a few minutes.  Un-tempered or improperly tempered chocolate will remain soft and won’t harden.

Tiramisu White Chocolate Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Sauce

I’ve had a love affair with Mascarpone Cheese since I first tasted the smooth and creamy triple cream cheese.   It is light yet rich, spreads like soft butter, even when chilled, and melts with ease for pasta, or on potatoes.  I met Mascarpone in an Italian Tiramisu.  I had to get the plain cheese to taste it all alone, without the espresso and other flavors.

Now it is much more economical to purchase the 5 pound container at the local restaurant/wholesale food store (Cash & Carry) than 24 ounces at the market.  So, I am creating more recipes, so none is wasted.

You can’t freeze Mascarpone cheese as is, because it spoils the texture of the cream.  It is highly perishable and doesn’t last long in the refrigerator.  However, making truffles, cakes, ice cream, or other delectable treats which can be frozen, is how I can make this work to my advantage.  I could make the ganache for approximately 300 Tiramisu truffles or get creative.  I’ll probably do a little of both.  I just ordered more than ten pounds of white chocolate so I can play.

So I am experimenting with ice cream:  Tiramisu White Chocolate Ice Cream to be exact.  It just sounded good.  Anyway, It is supposed to be warm today and I don’t really want to cook and heat up the house.

Tiramisu White Chocolate Ice Cream

3 egg yolks

¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt

¼ cup blue agave nectar or xylitol or 2 tablespoons of each. (If using xylitol, dissolve the xylitol in the espresso.)

6 tablespoons espresso

1 ½ cups heavy cream

6 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped fine

1 cup mascarpone cheese (7 – 8  ounces)

3 tablespoons brandy or rum (I use 1½  tablespoons of each, brandy and dark rum.  They complement each other.)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dark chocolate sauce (Recipe follows.)

Directions:

Put about an inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler and bring to a simmer.  Set the top pan over the simmering water.  The bottom of the top pan should not touch the water.  Do not cover.

Heat the espresso, blue agave nectar or xylitol and ¾ cup of cream until agave nectar or xylitol are totally dissolved.  In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until light and stir about a half a cup of the warmed espresso- heavy cream mixture into the egg yolks.  Pour the egg mixture back to the pan and stir into the espresso-cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and evenly and thoroughly coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and pour in the remaining ¾ cup of cream and the mascarpone cheese. Wisk until thoroughly incorporated.  When  mixture is cooled to approximately 118° F (48° C), place the finely chopped white chocolate into the custard and stir until the chocolate is melted.  Wisk in the brandy, rum, and vanilla and stir.

Cool and chill.

Place into the freezer container of an ice cream maker.  Freeze in the ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s directions.  This mixture is soft and may not fully freeze in the ice cream maker.  Place in a freezer container and allow to freeze.

Dark Chocolate Sauce

4 ounces dark unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine

4 ounces dark semi-sweetened chocolate, chopped fine

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract.

Heat the cream to 115° F (46° C).  Place the finely chopped chocolate in a bowl.  Pour the warmed cream over the chocolate and stir until just melted.  Add the vanilla and stir.  Pour a zigzagged ribbon of sauce over the Tiramisu White Chocolate Ice Cream.  Serve and enjoy.