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!

Cherry Hazelnut Marzipan Layered Dark Chocolate Petite Fours Truffles

Cherry Hazelnut Marzipan Layered Dark Chocolate Petite Fours Truffles

In keeping with last week’s hazelnut theme, this week’s  blog will show you how to make an easy, fast,  low glycemic,  gluten and egg free hazelnut marzipan.  While marzipan is usually made with almonds, other nuts make wonderful tasting sweetmeats.   Marzipan is very versatile.  If  any is left over,  use it to dress up breakfast crepes along with fresh fruit.  Roll teaspoon – tablespoon amounts into balls and coat with cocoa, cinnamon or a combination of both to make a sweet treat.  At Christmas time, I often  make a  cardamom Swedish coffee cake and layer the marzipan on the dough, roll  and section it like you would for cinamon buns.

A few weeks ago, in July,  I shared my Bing Cherry layered Chocolate Truffles.  To make it easier for you, I’ve reprinted it here, so you have it all in one place.  The hazelnut marzipan  is an added layer that changes the taste and adds a whole new dimension to the Bing cherry layer.    If you’ve already eaten all the cherries,  skip the cherry layer and you’ll still have an awesome treat.

Cherry Hazelnut Marzipan Layered Dark Chocolate Petite Fours Truffles

Makes approximately 64 one inch truffles.

1 recipe of Easy Blue Agave Nectar Hazelnut paste prepared 1 recipe of Cherry Gel – prepared according to the directions below.

Ingredients for 1 recipe of Traditional Chocolate Truffles

12 ounces dark chocolate for dipping, if desired.   64 Hazelnut halves to decorate.

Easy Blue Agave Nectar Hazelnut Marzipan

Makes approximately ¾ pound of delicious Nut Paste.

1 cup whole hazelnuts, preferably organically grown, without the shells

⅓ – ½ cup blue agave nectar**

½ teaspoon real hazelnut extract or 1-2 tablespoons Frangelico Liquer, optional.

Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor.  Process until nuts are uniformly extra finely ground, almost like flour.

Measure ⅓ cup of blue agave nectar.  Start the processor and slowly pour the blue agave nectar in a steady thin stream.  Continue to process for 60 – 90 seconds, or longer If needed, until the paste looks smooth and uniform.  Add the extract or Frangelico if desired.  Taste it and check the texture.  If too stiff, add more blue agave nectar, a teaspoon at a time until consistency is like a stiff dough that holds together.

It should be smooth with just a slightly chewy texture. If you can detect more than a hint of discernable graininess, process it a bit longer, until it feels almost smooth on your tongue.

Store the nut paste in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks, or freeze it for up to 6 months.  You can make it a day or two before you need to use it – It gives the flavors time to meld and blend.

Bing Cherry Gel Layer

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

- should have about 1½ cups seedless Cherry puree.  Use chlorine/fluoride free water to bring to 1 2/2 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 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 Cherry puree gel into the pan and even the surface.  Chill until firmly set, at least 2 hours.

Chocolate “Petit Fours” Truffles – 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.

Spread half the hazelnut paste in a layer over the chocolate layer.

Invert the Cherry Gel layer over the hazelnut paste. Remove the parchment or plastic wrap.

Spread the remaining hazelnut paste evenly over the top of the Cherry gel.

Pour the remaining ganache over the Cherry layer and spread the top layer evenly.  Place in the refrigerator until set.  (If desired, you can make a single, thicker layer of hazelnut paste using approximately ¾ of the recipe.  It’s not as fancy but tastes just as good.)   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“