Easy Truffles

Step 5 Combine with Chocolate

Put your chocolate chips in a bowl and place a mesh sieve over them.  Or some cheesecloth, or a regular strainer / colander deal.  Pretty much, you just want to make sure you catch all the rogue bits of cardamom and orange peel.  If you substituted out those ingredients, you can skip the sieve altogether.

Once you've waited the 15 requisite minutes, Martha tells us to bring the mixture back to a boil, then pouring it through the sieve over the chocolate pieces and stirring to melt.

I don't know why she wants us to boil the liquid and then wait 15 minutes and then boil them again.  I really question how much this extra time allows the flavors to all steep together.  Next time I make this, I will skip that part.  We want this to be fast and easy, right? 

Comments

[snoopindaweb]

  =///////===============> - RIGHT..!

[acexkeikai]

I think she wants you to wait 15 minutes because she wants to infuse the cream with the taste of the cardamon and orange rind, if you remove them too fast and not let it steep the flavours won't be as good. I don't think skipping this part to make it faster will make as good truffles. It will make it faster but not as flavorfull.

If you want your truffles to have a kick, infuse a small dried hot pepper in the cream nstead of the cardamon and orange rind. I did it last year and man are those were delicious!!!

[lashermayfair]

hello, this recipe sounds really apetite! xD. and your coment about the hot pepper make it even more interest, but some times there are some cultural differences, so may i ask what kind of hot pepper are you talking about? because im in mexico and here, we have all kind of "chiles" or hot peppers. some of those are really spicy.

Thank you!.

[acexkeikai]

since I am way up north or hot pepper selection isn't as bg as yours. I think our hot peppers are cayenne peppers for very hot.

I would recommend Ancho peppers since you guys have more variety then us I would just say to experiment. Use fry chillies though not fresh. Use a small quantity and taste your cream before adding it to the chocolate.

Maybe check what Aztecs were using when making hot chocolate like in this recipe:

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/3534-aztec-hot-chocolate

[mr_eand1der]

Just as a warning, note that any peppers you add to truffles will "develop" their flavors over time.  When you're first mixing them in, it's easy to put in a lot, because the dairy fats tend dull out the effect they have when you taste them initially.  But in a few days, the oils will steep out and that same heat will be a LOT stronger.

I'm speaking from personal experience, as I made some truffles that tasted "comfortably warm" when sampled the same day they were made, but a few days later, they had turned into "pretty fiery"!

[mr_eand1der]

Concerning the "steeping then bringing to a boil again" question, it might help bring out flavors if you do this, but it can also bring out bitter notes if you use stuff like expresso powder or tea.  And it does take extra time.

In my experience, I've found the truffles that have rested in the fridge for at least three days before they're eaten tend to develop their flavors more fully, and I think that would be my version of the same principle.  Plus I sidestep the issues of over-steeped tea or coffee.

I already knew this from sauces and soups, but I'd never suspected it would apply to chocolates!

[legomum]

I think she says to bring it back to the boil because it will melt the chocolate chips better because it's hotter (as it will have cooled off in the 15 min. infusing.)