Introduction: Coffee Truffles Three Ways

Personally, I love a bit of crunch in a truffle but when I mentioned to my darling fiance that I was planning on making coffee truffles with coffee beans in them, he kind of looked at me oddly and pointed out that the smoothness of a truffle was the whole point so instead, I made my truffles coffe-licious three different ways and you can choose your favorite method (or use all three for some seriously coffee truffles).  

Truffles are very easy to make, but a small box of them makes a stunning gift for oh, say, Valentine's Day. 

Step 1: Ingredients & Supplies

Ingredients:
1/3 cup coffee, ground finely
200g or 7oz Tasty chocolate (I like dark, but it's up to you)
2/3 cup Heavy Cream
Materials for coating (see steps five and six)

Materials:
Wax paper
Sauce pan
Bowl
Instant read thermometer (for bonus tempering step)


Step 2: Making the Ganache (unflavored)

A truffle is just ganache (combination of chocolate and cream) that is sometimes flavored.  Then the ganache is allowed to cool, shaped into a ball, and rolled in quick coating of some sort (anything from cocoa powder to nuts and candy to tempered chocolate to create an outer shell).  

Chop the chocolate as finely as you possibly can and collect it in your bowl.

Heat the cream in the sauce pan until very hot -- almost simmering. 

Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the combination is smooth and shiny. 

Congratulations, you've made ganache!

Step 3: Making the Ganache (flavored!)

Three ways:
Number One:

1. Chop the chocolate as finely as you possibly can and collect it in your bowl.

2. Heat the cream in the saucepan until very hot -- almost simmering.  

3. Remove cream from heat and add 1 tbsp Kahlua or other coffee flavored liquor. 

4. Pour the flavored cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the combination is smooth and shiny.

Congratulations, you've made coffee-flavored ganache!



Number Two (my favorite):
1. Chop the chocolate as finely as you possibly can and collect it in your bowl.

2. Grind coffee until fine in coffee grinder.

3. Pour cream into saucepan and place on low to medium heat.

4. Put coffee into fine mesh bag, disposable tea bag, or tea ball. Add to saucepan while cream heats.

5. Heat the cream in the saucepan until very hot.  Almost simmering. 

6. Remove coffee from saucepan after allowing to steep for a few minutes (until desired coffee flavor is reached).

7. Pour coffee flavored cream over chocolate and stir until smooth and glossy.

Congratulations, you've made coffee-flavored ganache!



Number three (crunchy):

1. Chop the chocolate as finely as you possibly can and collect it in your bowl.

2. Heat the cream in the sauce pan until very hot -- almost simmering.

3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the combination is smooth and glossy.

4. Add finely ground coffee beans and continue to stir until combined.

Congratulations, you've made coffee-flavored ganache with a bit of crunch!

Step 4: Individual Chocolates

Now that you have a ganache (flavored or not), set it aside to cool (takes several hours) or put it in the fridge if you are impatient (that's me!). 

Once the ganache is firm to the touch, use a spoon to separate small amounts of ganache.

Using the palms of your hands, roll the ganache into a ball shape. 

Set on wax or parchment paper. 

Continue until all ganache is rolled into balls.

Return to fridge for 15 minutes to refirm. 

When you are done, your hands will resemble a small kid playing in the mud. Ideally, you want the ganache to touch your palms for as short a period as possible, but sometimes you just have to manhandle that stuff.  No matter how "touched" it looks, don't worry -- you'll cover that part up. 

Step 5: Finishing Your Truffles

Before they are ready to go, your truffles need a coating.  This will make eating them a lot less messy.

Coating suggestions:
Cocoa powder + finely ground coffee
Cocoa powder
Finely chopped nuts of your choice
Tempered chocolate with coffee bean or grounds sprinkled on top

If you are doing a dry coating (cocoa or nuts):

1. Mix your coating together in a small bowl. 

2. Add a truffle from your wax or parchment paper and gently roll it around in the coating using a fork or tilting the bowl until fully coated.

3. Return to wax or parchment paper. 

4. Continue this process for all truffles. You may wish to make several coatings to see which you like best. 

Step 6: Bonus Difficulty: Tempered Coating

The smooth, glossy truffles you often see in the store usually have a tempered chocolate coating. When you make chocolates you temper the chocolate as a way to ensure the coating will be glossy and gorgeous instead of that kind of white film you see on chocolate that's been melted and has re-solidified. 

Finely chop all of your chocolate and separate it into two piles. 

Heat half of it in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. 

Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the chocolate has reached about 120*F. (Check with your instant thermometer.)

Remove from heat and add remaining chocolate a spoonful at a time, while stirring it in, until chocolate reaches about 85*F. 

The chocolate should now be tempered and ready for coating. 

Put a truffle into the chocolate sauce and remove it using a fork to allow excess chocolate to drain.

Place coated truffle on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Sprinkle top with coarsely ground coffee or place a coffee bean into the still-gooey chocolate. 

Once the chocolate has cooled and firmed, it should remain glossy and beautiful.