It’s RecipeRedux time!
This month the theme is 2-0-1-6. A year that will live in infamy. A year that saw big changes in my life (moving in with David, starting work at PVF, getting used to showing up on TV now and then), and a lot of learning. So in a nod to closing out this roller coaster ride around the sun, Reduxers are picking recipes from cookbooks on pages that have the numbers 2, 0, 1 and 6 to remake. I am busy making some last-minute gifts, and my aunt loves dark chocolate, so I thought truffles would be perfect. I’m actually following the recipe exactly, but “reduxing” the size – truffle minis! The beautiful, tantalizing book “Chocolate” has a recipe on page 126 and I’m sharing it here – very few (very rich) ingredients, but I love the idea of a crunch outer shell to contrast the creamy truffle inside.
Oh, what fun
I’m also adding a special twist: custom M&M’s! I had one of their family pictures printed onto mini packs of M&M’s, and even though they’re tiny the clarity is pretty darn good! You can try it out yourself here.
Dark Chocolate Truffles with Cocoa Nibs
Ingredients
- 6 + 6 ounces (separated) semisweet chocolate, in pieces or chopped
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup cocoa nibs
Directions
Melt 6 ounces of chocolate over a double boiler. Bring the cream to boil in a separate small saucepan, then remove from heat and allow to cool. When the cream has cooled to about 115F (I just waited until the pan wasn’t too hot to touch!), slowly pour the chocolate into the cream. As you pour, stir with a spatula, thoroughly mixing the chocolate into the cream. The mixture will thicken and should be smooth and shiny. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered. That’s the ganache for the center – while it’s cooling, melt the rest of the chocolate over the double boiler, prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or tinfoil, and grab a spoon. Scoop out a small amount (I used roughly the size of a large marble) and roll it into a sphere (or whatever shape it wants to be…getting them perfect is tricky!). Immediately coat the cold ganache ball with the melted chocolate, using a fork to toss it in the bowl to coat. Drop it into the cocoa nibs and continue to roll to coat. (Alternatively, you could chill before the cocoa nibs and then coat in cocoa powder.) Place on the cookie sheet. When you are out of dipping chocolate, pop the prepared truffles into the fridge to store.
