Now! Just in time for the Holidays: Enjoy The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles

I’ve got to toot my own horn!

“Do you hear what I hear…”

Just in time for the HOLIDAYS

The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles

is HERE!  NOW!

http://www.sichocolatetruffles.com/the-book/

This book is the perfect gift for chocolate loving cooks.

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!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Truffles

It just so happens that I live fairly  close to where hazelnuts are grown commercially.  I even have wild hazelnut trees on my property that produce a small harvest each fall – when I can manage to convince the cagey greedy Steller Jays who eat them green,  and a small family of adorable red squirrels to let me have a few.   The wild nuts are smaller; their shells are thick and tough to crack, unlike the commercially grown varieties; but they taste good.

Everyone knows that hazelnuts and chocolate go splendidly together.   While toasting the hazelnuts brings  out the full flavor of the nut, they are also excellent untoasted.  Some might tell you they are better for you raw.  I will leave that to your discernment. Enjoy.

Hazelnut Cream

¾ cup raw pesticide free whole hazelnuts,  remove shells or purchase shelled nuts

1½ -2½ cups water – pure, with no chlorine or fluoride

If possible (although it is not necessary)  soak hazelnut in 1½ cups water for about 2 hours or overnight, drain. Soaking can improve digestibility.

Combine nuts and 1½ cups water in a blender and liquefy until smooth.  Strain if desired.  Remember that there are no preservatives, so use promptly.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Truffles

Sugar-free, Gluten free, Dairy Free, Vegan

1½ cup Hazelnut cream (Recipe above.)

¾ cup xylitol

2 teaspoons vegetable glycerin

1 tablespoon Hazelnut oil (optional, but makes a richer product)

12 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine or grated.

¾ cup finely chopped toasted hazelnut (or raw hazelnuts for raw foods)

Making the Truffles:

Please Note:  This process should be followed as directed to achieve a smooth texture and smooth consistency.

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.

I f using toasted hazelnuts, preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).  When heated, toast hazelnut in single layer for 5 – 7 minutes.  Cool, then finely chop.

Warm the Hazelnut cream in the top of an uncovered double boiler until hot.  Add the xylitol and glycerin to the Hazelnut cream and stir until the xylitol is fully dissolved.  Only after the xylitol has completely dissolved, add the Hazelnut oil. When mixture cools or heats to 115° – 118° F (46° F – 48° C), remove the top of the double boiler and add the chopped chocolate and vanilla into the top of the double boiler.  Stir until chocolate is just melted and smooth.  Add the chopped hazelnut.  Stir until uniformly mixed in.

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

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 toasted hazelnut, coating the entire surface.

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

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.

Melting Chocolate in the Microwave

Melting Chocolate in the Microwave

My first piece of advice would be, Don’t! It is very easy to Burn or over heat the chocolate whether dark, milk, semi-sweet, or white. Be very careful and attentive if you are melting chocolate in the microwave. If using chocolate chips, the chips retain their shape, even though soft and adequately melted. You can’t necessarily tell when they are melted, just by looking at them.

First chop the chocolate into fine bits.

With Butter:

If using melted butter or a liquid with the chocolate, then use the butter or liquid to help melt the chocolate. Avoid putting the chocolate in the microwave if you can.

If melting butter, place the butter in a glass bowl. (butter melts plastic and creates toxic by-products.) Cover with a plate, as butter can explosively splash when it is heated too much. Melt butter by heating for short periods of approximately 1 minute, then 30 seconds then 20 seconds. When melted Add chocolate and stir, until chocolate is just melted. If chocolate doesn’t melt completely, return to microwave for 10 – 15 seconds at a time until melted. It is important to check to see if the chocolate is adequately melted each time, so that the chocolate isn’t “cooked”.

With cream or other liquids:

Chop the chocolate and put in a glass (fats in the food melt plastic and creates toxic by-products.) or microwave safe container. Heat the liquid until no more than 115° F (46° C). Pour the liquid over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. If chocolate doesn’t melt completely, return to microwave for 10 – 15 seconds at a time until melted. It is important to check to see if the chocolate is adequately melted each time, so that the chocolate isn’t “cooked.”

The temperature is important.  We want to retain as much of the healthful components of chocolate, so we don’t want to over heat it.  Also, we really  still don’t know if any or what subtle changes may occur from microwaving our food.  The jury is still out on that.

Editing Dark Chocolate Sugar-free Truffles

Hi and Welcome to Healthy Chocolate.

Wine and Chocolate Truffles, Handcrafted with Love

I’ve just learned to “Twitter!” Didn’t even know what it was – I thought it was just for the birds.  Chocolate twitter…Sweet.

What’s sweet is using natural alternative sweeteners like blue agave nectar or xylitol with dark unsweetened chocolate to make healthier treats like chocolate truffles,  It would take you months to try all the flavors I’ve created recipes for.

It’s a fairly typical Pacific Northwest kind of day, complete with liquid sunshine.  Just the sort of day for chocolate.  I’m in the process of editing my latest book - The Splendid Indulgence of Chocolate Truffles.

Right now, I’m working on dark chocolate sugar-free truffles in a variety of flavors - all very low in carbs and gluten free.

Wine and Chocolate!  My hobbies go so well together.