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.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what it takes to make the good stuff. First, you need a really good chocolate truffle recipe. I’ve included several ideas in previous blogs. Once you’ve got that, here’s a comprehensive list of tools that you need:

Appliances

• A Chef’s Knife or implement to chop your chocolate and nuts.   I really prefer a my Cuisinart, It makes the job of chopping up larger amounts of chocolate for fondue and layers and layers of truffle “cake”  very quick and very easy.
• Food Processor: I recommend a good Cuisinart, but you can get a cheap food processor for $20-30 at Target, Wal-Mart, or even your local hardware store.  The nut paste marzipans and fruit purees  used to fill or even wrap a large “truffle cake” (see photo) are incredibly easy to make with a good processor.

• 

  Layers of chocolate wraped in Hazelnut marzipan

• Double Boiler for melting or tempering  the chocolate: A double boiler consists of a lower saucepan and an upper pan. You can buy a nice one, or just put a larger bowl inside another to melt your chocolate. When you’re making truffles, you can burn the chocolate if you heat it up too high (chocolate melts at around body temperature, so you should keep the temperature low).   See my post “Don’t Burn the Chocolate…“
• Pan Scrapper – Rubber or silicon, to make sure you get every last drop of chocolate. You can stir with the silicon type of scraper.  They’re heat safe.
• Measuring Spoons and Cups – regular teaspoon, 1/4 , 1/2, and 1 teaspoon, tablespoon and 1/4,  1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup measures.  You probably already have these in your kitchen.
• Accurate Candy Thermometer is helpful for truffle making and necessary for properly tempering the chocolate. I use three different thermometers. One with a low scale that can read temperatures from 70 degrees and up accurately (I also use this one to check temperatures for my wine yeasts).  One is a higher range thermometer for making the caramel.  This one needs to go at least as high as 250 degrees. For caramel, you need to clearly discern the temperature range  of 235 – 244 degrees.  My third thermometer is digital and has a range of 0 degrees to more than 400 degrees. I often use the two in two different parts of the pan for greater accuracy when making caramel and tempering chocolate.
• Candy Dipping Tools make  dipping the truffles a bit neater than using your fingers, and maybe not as much fun.  These are a bit more exotic than your local stores may have, although some of the craft stores may have them.  Anyway, I’ve provided a few links to make it easier to find.
• http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/candies/candypage.htm#dip
• http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=189125&CCAID=FROOGLE189125
• 
  
• Kitchen Collection Stores – http://www.kitchencollection.com
• Kitchen Scale is useful for weighing the chocolate  – but not mandatory.  Prices vary from $10 -$30 for an adequate scale.

A double boiler consists of a lower saucepan filled with approximately an inch of boiling water.  It has another pot which sits inside of it, over but not in direct contact with the boiling water.  The steam from the simmering water heats the upper pan and indirectly warms the contents of the pan.

If you don’t have a double boiler, one can be improvised with a regular saucepan and a tempered glass or stainless steel bowl that sits only partially in the saucepan and has at least ¾ inch of air space between the water and the bowl.

Example of Double Boiler

To Use a Double boiler

Fill the bottom saucepan with approximately an inch of water.  Place the top pan or bowl portion of your double boiler inside the pan to make sure it will not touch the water.

Remove the bowl, and heat the water to boiling.  Lower the burner until the water is just barely simmering.

Add the bowl portion of the double boiler, and follow cooking instructions.

When using a double boiler to melt chocolate, it is a good idea to pay attention and watch to make sure that the chocolate is not overheated.  Raw or minimally processed chocolates or cacao must not be heated above 118° F. or 48° C, to protect their nutritive value.  Raw blue agave nectars, have extra nutritional benefits and they should also not be heated above 118° F. or 48° C.  Agave nectar changes when heated above these temperatures.  After that change, it is metabolized differently in the body

Note, that even though there is less danger of over-heating, over-cooking or scorching foods in a double boiler, it can be done.  (And has been, by those of us who are tangentially inclined.) Remember to check your water level in the bottom pan if you are using the double boiler for longer heating periods, such as more than an hour.