Chocolate Truffle Time (Szechuan Buttons, Black Garlic & Candy Caps!)

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Chocolate Truffle Time (Szechuan Buttons, Black Garlic & Candy Caps!)

I am so happy to be writing another post here at MarxFoods and I need to tell you something – everything is fresh, top quality and beautiful each and every time and it’s this attention to detail that keeps me coming back for more – Christo @ ChezWhat  – anyway lets roll up our sleeves and get messy.

INGREDIENTS
  • TRUFFLE COATINGS:
  • 1.  8 ounces of dark chocolate melted in a double boiler (bain marie)
  • 2.  Ground candy cap mushrooms (the candy caps offer up maple and hazelnut in one convenient powder)
  • 3.  Mixed dried chiles of your heat preference put through a spice mill with a bit of kosher salt and sugar (the chiles fool your mouth in the most unusual way – there should be a word for this in French like ‘faux bouche’ or something)
  • 4.  Minced szechuan buttons mixed with a little sugar and salt tossed together by hand (the pop rocks effect and fizz from the buttons make your mouth wonder who electrified the chocolate)
  • 5.  Minced black garlic (is it licorice?  No one will believe you when you tell them it’s garlic)
  • 6.  Plain chocolate (why mess around with a proven winner)
  • 7.  Mint and sugar (do some people NOT like mint and sugar? – odd and rare I am sure)
  • 8.  Orange zest (everyone knows the love affair chocolate has with orange, who am I to keep them apart)
  • GANACHE:
  • 14 ounces of good dark chocolate crumbled
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Chocolate truffles are a total crowd pleaser and in reality there is no secret to their simplicity, but there is a knack to their execution. If you have a tendency to cook like Julia Child, you know to wipe everything to the floor and not worry about your mistakes, then you will do fine, but if you are more of a Jacques Pepin, then a little practice in neatness will be necessary.  Truffles can be messy.  The recipe is three ingredients: chocolate, butter and cream but the possibilities are endless.  Let’s get started.  First you will need to make the ganache – which is the creamy chocolate center.

DIRECTIONS

1

Warm the cream to just before boiling and pour over the chocolate and butter and whisk until melted and glossy, then refrigerate until very firm.

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2

This is some of the szechuan button coating:

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3

This is the chile salt:

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4

When the ganache is totally cooled have all your toppings and melted chocolate ready.  With a melon baller scoop out balls of chocolate.  You have a choice of dipping them in the melted chocolate and then your toppings or you can go straight into your toppings, but keep in mind with the toppings that a little goes a long way.  Go crazy, make a ton and enjoy.  Remember that it takes a little timing to get the hang of it.  The ganache will melt and then it gets hard to manage, so you have to keep putting it back in the refrigerator to stiffen up again, other wise you will be all covered in rich dark chocolate.

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5

Truffles really are easy and they look so sophisticated as a gift but you don’t have to take my word for it – go make some.

Browse More:
Dessert Recipes
Szechuan Button Recipes
Black Garlic Recipes
Candy Cap Recipes