5 Layer Chocolate Birthday Truffle “Cake”
I thought I’d share my birthday “cake” with everyone. It is also my celebration of the completion of my new book The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles. I hope you will see the delight and versatility of truffles; that the photos inspire you and provide eye candy to help you mentally taste the nutty slightly chewy hazelnut marzipan clinging to a depth of a dark cloud of chocolate softened by creamy white chocolate and tangy pie cherries bursting their flavor and melding with deep dark bittersweet chocolate…
This gluten free “cake” is really a giant truffle. It is a combination of 5 layers, most of which I gave you in previous recipes, but with a difference – different configuration and some different ingredients: The bottom first layer is dark chocolate ganache made with half Sharffen Berger 99% Cacao and half Ghirardelli 100% Cacao sweetened with blue agave nectar, a low glycemic natural sweetener. The two chocolates balance beautifully with a wonderful richness.
The second layer was a gel made from dried pie cherries soaked in some of my personal homemade Cherry wine (Cherry Pie Wine made with pie cherries and wild dark cherries) some Bing cherry juice and agar for the gelling agent. (See the recipe for Bing cherry gel for the technique)
The third layer is a creamy white chocolate ganache spiked with Frangelico Liqueur.
The fourth and top layer is a dark chocolate ganache made of Sharffen Berger 99% Cacao sweetened with blue agave nectar. The giant truffle is made in a spring pan lined with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom and a strip of parchment around the sides..
The entire truffle wrapped in a layer of blue agave nectar hazelnut marzipan (a double recipe) rolled out between sheets of plastic. The diameter of the marzipan should be at least the diameter of the spring pan plus twice the height of the side of the finished truffle. The top plastic is removed and the marzipan is slid onto a large plate with the bottom plastic on the plate.
The technique for wrapping the truffle in Marzipan
The truffle is removed from the spring pan and the side strip of parchment is removed. The truffle is inverted so that the top of the truffle is placed onto the center of the marzipan. The bottom circle of parchment is removed. The truffle is now upside-down on the marzipan which is on a plate. Gather the marzipan around the truffle sides. Using a dinner knife (don’t use a sharp knife), Cut the marzipan at the bottom edge of the truffle. I do this by holding the marzipan sheet (on the plastic) with my hand against the side and pressing the dull knife into the marzipan against my palm.
Then I peel the excess marzipan from the plastic wrap. Do a few inches at a time until the marzipan is neatly trimmed to the base of the truffle. Use any excess marzipan to repair any gaps. Peel back the plastic from the sides only. Place a serving plate onto the top of the truffle’s bottom and carefully invert the truffle onto the serving plate. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the truffle. Leave plain or decorate with hazelnut halves.
Since I didn’t want to mar the look of the cake I did without traditional candles. Instead, I made an extra cake to share with my co-workers.
For information on the recipes, see Cherry Hazelnut Marzipan Layered Dark Chocolate Petit Fours Truffle. For the white chocolate layer: In a the top of a double boiler melt 12 ounces of good quality white chocolate with 1/4 cup of heavy cream. When melted, pour in 2 ounces of Frangelico Liqueur.
This truffle “cake” is so versatile You can make the truffle layers with your favorite chocolate truffle ganache, using traditional truffles, or diabetic safe sugar-free truffles sweetened with xylitol or blue agave nectar, low glycemic natural sweeteners.
There are plenty of recipes to choose from in my new book The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles. There are also full directions and techniques for each of the types of truffles: Traditional, Blue Agave Nectar, Sugar-free Xylitol , White Chocolate and Double Chocolate Truffles. All the recipes in this book are gluten free and egg free. At least half of the recipes have a low glycemic index and approximately a quarter of the recipes are sugar free. With the exception of the white chocolate recipes, the recipes use only dark chocolate, as it is the healthiest, rich with anti-antioxidants so good for your health. There are vegan truffles and substitutes for making truffles vegan. There is something for anyone who loves chocolate truffles. I’ve done all the hard work to make it easier for you.
We’ve got a special two-for-all going right now - If you pre-purchase the spiral bound copy of The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles, you will get a free copy of the E-book. We expect the printed copies to be ready to go by 1 December this year . Just in time for Christmas! These will make awesome gifts. Don’t forget to get one for yourself, too. As Julia would say, Bon Appetite!
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.
- They’re easier to make, for us non-professionals (and I count myself in that category)
- They’re faster to make than filled truffles, if less fancy.
- I wanted a filling that would stay gelled at room temperature
- 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.
A Bing cherry layer sandwiched between rich dark chocolate truffle ganache. Very elegant.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.
Xylitol – What Is It? Where Does It Come From? How Did We Find it?
I just read that Americans eat up to ½ cup of sugar per person, per day. Another interesting factoid is that each person eats on the average of 150 pounds of sugar per year. That’s a lot of sugar! Having had severe hypoglycemia as a young adult, I had to learn to do without most sugary treats. I couldn’t stand the taste of any of the artificial sweeteners and was concerned about their health impacts. So I stopped drinking sodas and learned to drink my caffeine black. I learned to discern the sweetness of foods where I could: in the cinnamon, sans sugar, on my cinnamon toast, or the sweetness in the berries gleaned – the wild cherries, mulberries, blackberries, or the spices in curry.
I wasn’t as nutritionally aware of all of the alternatives in those days, despite having a bachelors’ degree in nutrition with a rebel attitude toward the wonders of soft white “Wonder Bread”. There was no internet to surf on to learn the latest, cutting edge research and information. Unless you lived in a big city with a good library and knowledgeable research librarian, or working in that field, you were unlikely to know the “latest.” Boy do I love the convenience of technology (once I learn how to use it.)
I had been growing and using Stevia for a while, but the leaf and the commercial forms available ten years ago were bitter-sweet and altered the taste of the food. Not good enough even though Stevia is good for us. [More on this in another blog. There is newer products and techniques.]
Xylitol has no known toxicity to humans…
Xylitol is not safe for dogs and may not be safe for other small animals.
Enter xylitol. When my friend Julie, who gave me my first bag of xylitol to create a sugar-free, diabetic friendly truffle, I was intrigued. What is xylitol, I wondered? My husband who manages to keep up with many of the cutting edge nutritional research, had purchased some XlearTM nasal spray with xylitol because it was supposed to inhibit the attachment of infection-causing bacteria and help wash away bacteria, pollens, dander, molds, allergens and other irritants that cause nasal congestion.
So I investigated xylitol on-line and found some pleasantly surprising research that made me double my efforts to create a sugar-free truffle that rivaled the taste and texture of normal regular truffles.
So, what is xylitol, where does it come from and how did we find it?
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener found in and extracted from the fibers of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, birch trees, oats, and mushrooms. It is a natural, intermediate product of glucose metabolism in man, some animals, several plants and micro-organisms. Our bodies can extract and use up to 15 grams of xylitol per day from the foods we eat and our normal carbohydrate metabolism. Of course, the amount depends on the foods we eat.
Xylitol is considered a sugar alcohol or polyol. It is slowly absorbed into the blood stream. It is not digested and processed in the body as a carbohydrate, and so doesn’t directly impact blood sugar. It has a low glycemic index of 7, compared to sucrose also know as white sugar or table sugar, which has a glycemic index ranging from 60 – 80. This means it doesn’t cause a sugar high and subsequent energy slump.
Xylitol metabolism doesn’t require insulin. This may be an advantage for the increasing number of people with diabetes. Xylitol doesn’t contribute to high blood sugar levels or the resulting hyperglycemia caused by an insufficient insulin response.
The downside of xylitol is that it can have a mild laxative effect. Tolerances (i.e. how much xylitol which can be eaten before experiencing the laxative effect) vary, ranging from as low as 3 grams to as high as 60 grams per day.
Xylitol has 40% less calories, only 2.4 calories per gram as compared to 4 calories per gram for other sugars such as cane sugar or honey.
The truffle recipes containing xylitol in The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles have approximately 3 – 5 grams of xylitol per ½ ounce truffle, weighed prior to finishing.
Emil Fischer, a German chemist discovered xylitol could be made from wood sugars in 1891. During the 1930’s organic chemists worked out the process for extracting the Xylitol from the birch sugar concentrated in xylan-rich fibers of birch branches.
The Finns rediscovered xylitol during World War II. Finland had no domestic source of table sugar, and because of the war, they were unable to import any. Finland was searching for an alternative source of sugar. Birch trees are indigenous to Finland and so they began to make and use xylitol instead of sugar to sweeten their foods.
In 1963, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved xylitol use as a “special dietary and nutritional additive.”
Finnish scientists conducted studies to determine the effects of xylitol, sucrose and fructose (a fruit sugar commonly found in corn and other fruits) on dental caries. They also researched the physiology of xylitol in the body and discovered that xylitol did not require insulin for independent nature was also
A Finnish company began putting xylitol in their gum in 1975. It took another 15 years for the Americans to add small amounts of Xylitol to our gums. [Please note that the most popular brands of gum that contain xylitol, also contain sorbitol and manitol, other sugar alcohols which have almost no dental benefits. ALL contain aspartame on their ingredient list! I was shocked to discover this while reading the ingredient lists on the various xylitol gums while waiting my turn to check out at the store.
Buyer beware! If you don’t choose to have aspartame in your gum, buy The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles and get your healthy xylitol in healthy chocolate!
Dentistry became interested in xylitol in the 1970s when those studies showed a drastic reduction in dental caries (cavities) when xylitol was used instead of sucrose. Fructose also reduced caries but not as substantially. Additional Research on Xylitol shows dramatic reductions in new tooth decay and plaque formation:
Oral bacteria, including the cavity-promoting streptococci mutans and lactobacilli can’t digest or use xylitol as a food source. That doesn’t stop the bacteria from eating it – and so it starves them. Xylitol does not effectively ferment. The bacteria can’t convert the xylitol into acid or plaque. This helps the pH level in the mouth remain neutral – a friendlier environment for healthy teeth. Xylitol can also have the added benefit of reversing the unsafe fall of pH levels in the mouth. When a person chews xylitol-sweetened gum, for instance, the oral pH is raised to a safer level and saliva flow is stimulated, helping to neutralize any acids that may have formed.
Another tremendous benefit is that saliva contains the minerals calcium and phosphate which aid the re-mineralization of early cavities in the neutral pH environment. Xylitol dramatically helps reduce tooth decay, helps inhibit plaque buildup, and helps retard loss of tooth enamel. Xylitol can also used to reduce infections in the nose and throat.
Marilynn Rothen, RDH, BS, of the University of Washington has a wonderfully informative series of articles on the history and dental benefits of xylitol on Dimensions of Dental Hygiene’s On-line Journal at http://www.dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/ddhright.aspx?id=765, if you would like more detailed information than I have shared here.
Where to get Xylitol
Your local health food store is sure to have it, or to have it delivered to you door,
http://www.xlear.com/xylosweet/articles/sweetener.aspx
http://www.EmeraldForestXylitol.com
