Truffles

http://www.marthastewart.com/353236/chocolate-truffles?center=276958&gallery=275140&slide=260479

These irresistible chocolate truffles are an impressive and elegant way to treat your guests to dessert.

Yield Makes about 5 dozen
Ingredients

28 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons liqueur, such as Cognac, Grand Marnier, or Poire William (optional)
Best-quality cocoa powder

Directions

Make the ganache: Place 16 ounces of chocolate and the cream in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted; remove from heat. Add butter and Cognac and stir until combined.
Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the mixture is very cold and set, but still pliable, about 2 hours.
Melt remaining 12 ounces chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted; remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Using a 1/4-ounce ice cream scoop, drop ganache onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Chill 10 minutes.
Coat the palm of one of your hands with about 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate. Roll balls, one at a time, between your palms until evenly coated with chocolate. Roll in cocoa powder to coat. Transfer to second baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls, coating your palm with more chocolate as needed. Chill until ready to serve.

http://www.marthastewart.com/314793/chocolate-armagnac-truffles?center=276958&gallery=275140&slide=285223

Ingredients

12 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate, such as Lindt or Ghirardelli
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Armagnac, (brandy or orange liqueur may be substituted)
1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa, sifted

Directions

Chop chocolate, and place in a bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan; pour over chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir until smooth. Stir in liqueur. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Scoop up 1/2 teaspoon of chilled chocolate, and quickly roll into a ball. Continue until mixture is used up. Roll each truffle in cocoa to coat. Chill until firm.

Makes 5 doz

http://www.marthastewart.com/315894/bourbon-pecan-truffles?center=276958&gallery=275140&slide=259800

Chilling the chocolate mounds for a half hour makes it easier to shape them into balls. The truffles soften quickly, so keep them in the refrigerator until just before serving.
Expand
Everyday Food, December 2007

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Yield Makes 35

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped)
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil; remove from heat, and add chocolate and bourbon. Let stand 3 minutes; whisk until smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to a medium bowl, and refrigerate, uncovered, until thick and firm enough to spoon out in mounds, about 2 hours.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Drop level tablespoons of chocolate mixture onto baking sheet. Refrigerate chocolate mounds until firm, 30 minutes.
Place pecans in a shallow bowl. Using hands, roll each chocolate mound into a ball; roll balls in pecans, pressing lightly to adhere, and place on baking sheet. Refrigerate truffles until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Cook's Note

To make sure the chocolate does not melt, work with a few truffles at a time (keeping the rest refrigerated), and roll them in the nuts quickly.

http://www.marthastewart.com/319202/earl-grey-tea-infused-truffles?center=276958&gallery=275140&slide=259301

This recipe for Earl Grey tea-infused truffles is courtesy of Charles Chocolates' Chuck Siegel.

Yield Makes 117 truffles

Ingredients

24 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Manjari, finely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, preferably Valrhona 42 percent, finely chopped
2 2/3 cups heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
6 ounces Earl Grey tea
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups cocoa powder (not Dutch processed), preferably Valrhona, for rolling

Directions

Line a 13-by-9 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap; set aside.
In a heatproof bowl, set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate together until it reaches 120 degrees.
Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat; heat until cream just comes to a boil. Place tea in a medium stainless steel bowl. Pour cream over tea and let steep 10 minutes. Strain cream mixture through 4 layers of cheesecloth.
Remove chocolate mixture from heat and add to 1 1/3 cups cream mixture, reserving any remaining cream for another use. Using a heatproof spatula, mix together, starting from the center of the saucepan and working your way to the outer edges until mixture is emulsified. Add butter and mix with an immersion blender until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking sheet, evenly spreading mixture with an offset spatula; cover with plastic wrap, pressing down gently on chocolate mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, and up to overnight.
Line the back of another 13-by-9 1/2-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Uncover chocolate and invert onto parchment paper; remove second piece of plastic wrap. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, and a steel ruler as a guide, cut chocolate into 1-inch squares.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Roll each square of chocolate between your hands to form a smooth ball. Transfer chocolate balls to baking sheet; refrigerate for 1 hour.
Melt remaining 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set over (but not touching) simmering water. Place cocoa powder in a shallow dish. Place some of the melted chocolate in the palm of your hand and roll a chocolate ball in the melted chocolate to coat, then roll in cocoa powder. Repeat process with remaining chocolate balls. Transfer truffles to an airtight container, stacking truffles no more than 2 to 3 inches high, and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Bring truffles to room temperature just before serving.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chocolate/cookie-truffles/
Yield: about 50 truffles
Prep: 30 mins Chill: 1 hr

Cookie Truffles

Ingredients

1 18 ounce package chocolate sandwich cookies with white filling, finely crushed
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 pound white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
Colored sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. In a large bowl combine crushed cookies and cream cheese. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well mixed. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls.

2. In a large saucepan cook and stir white chocolate over low heat until melted; cool slightly.

3. Dip each ball into melted white chocolate; let excess drip back into pan. Place dipped truffles on the prepared baking sheet. If desired,sprinkle with colored sugar. Chill truffles about 1 hour or until firm. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts (Cookie Truffles)

Calories 115,
Protein (gm) 2,
Carbohydrate (gm) 13,
Fat, total (gm) 7,
Cholesterol (mg) 7,
Saturated fat (gm) 3,
Vitamin A (IU) 49,
Calcium (DV %) 20,
Iron (DV %) 1,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet