Chocolate Truffles: Three Easy Recipies in One.

These truffles are all variations on two simple recipies - cake based truffles and chocolate based truffles. They're easy to make, take very little time, and look very professional. You may also be able to enlist someone else to do the washing up in exchange for licking the bowl.

I made these for various relatives for christmas and everyone loved them. These truffles are also cheap - around $40 in ingredients made over 200 bite sized truffes.

The three truffle recipies in this instructable are:
Peanut butter truffles in milk chocolate very rich and nutty and not too sweet, with a nice crunch to them.
Turkish delight and pistachio truffles in white chocolate a more delicate flavour and appearance. The rosewater in the turkish delight goes well with the crunch of pistachios.
Chocolate and peppermint cake truffles who doesn't like cake?

I also offer a number of equally delicious and delectable variations on these in the last page, including a soppy valentine's day idea. Because I can.

Step 1: Ingredients

For all three recipies:
Heatproof bowl large enough to fit over a saucepan (and a saucepan to fit it over).
Metal spoon for stirring.
Small metal teaspoon.
Baking trays or plates lined with baking paper.
Truffle dipper (not necessary but will give the truffles a nice swirly effect). Truffle dippers are available from homeware and kitchen shops and look like a metal spiral on a stick.
Small paper 'patty pans' - as large as you want your truffles to be.
Room in your fridge.
Well trained relatives or housemates who can be relied on not to sample your truffles of deliciousness. Failing that, a big stick.

Peanut butter truffles
375g milk chocolate
125ml (half a cup) thickened cream
200g crunchy peanut butter (even if you only ever eat smooth peanut butter, go buy the crunchy type)
375g milk chocolate melts

Turkish delight and pistachio truffles
375g white chocolate
125ml thickened cream
700g turkish delight
half a cup of unsalted pistachios
375g white chocolate melts

Chocolate peppermint truffles
200g milk chocolate
50ml thickened cream
450g packet bought madeira or sponge cake (preferably a tiny bit stale)
2 drops peppermint oil or essence
Cocoa powder or drinking chocolate powder (I used a mint chocolate powder)

Step 2: Peanut Butter in Milk Chocolate

Peanut butter truffles

1) Chop or break up the chocolate.

2) Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water (if you're unclear on what I mean for this step, there are a number of pictures of this elsewhere on instructables).

3) Stir the chocolate with a metal spoon until melted.

4) Add the peanut butter and stir until well mixed.

5) Place in the fridge and go do something else for 4 hours or until firm (overnight works well).

6) Using the teaspoon, scoop out small bits of chocolate and roll into balls. Try to keep them uniform in size. If the mixture becomes too soft to handle, shove it back in the fridge to cool down.

7) Place the balls not too close together on the lined trays and put in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Melt the chocolate melts in a bowl over simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat.

8) Now for the truffle dipper! Drop one truffle into the melted chocolate, and make sure it's covered completely. Scoop the truffle up with your dipper and tap the handle against the bowl a few times to shake off the excess. Carefully upend the truffle on the same tray you originally used (this saves space and washing up). The swirly part of the truffle dipper will leave a nice pattern on the top of the truffle.

Make sure to work quickly with the chocolate, only taking one tray of truffles out of the fridge at a time. If the chocolate starts to become too thick you can reheat it, but this will only work once or twice before it affects the consistency of the chocolate permanently.

9) Put the dipped truffles back in the fridge to set for a few hours while you lick the bowl. Once set, place into patty pans. Break off any chocolate that has pooled round the bottom of the truffles if it sticks out too far.

Step 3: Turkish Delight and Pistachio in White Chocolate

Turkish delight and pistachio truffles

The steps for these are almost identical to the peanut butter truffles. In step 1, finely chop the pistachios - you can use a food processor but it works just as well using a sharp serrated knife. Put the turkish delight into a freezer for about 10 minutes to harden it up and make it easier to work with, then chop into very small pieces using kitchen scissors. You might have to wash the scissors a couple of times if they get too sticky.

In step 4, add the pistachios and turkish delight in place of peanut butter.

In step 6, you might find the truffles are too sticky to work easily. This is due to the turkish delight. The easiest way is to place a few drops of vegetable oil on your hands when you roll, wash your hands occasionally when too much residue builds up, and return the mix to the fridge if it gets too difficult. Be patient! It will all be worth it in the end.

Step 4: Chocolate and Peppermint Cake Truffles

Chocolate peppermint cake truffles

1) Chop or break up the chocolate.

2) Process the cake into fine crumbs with a blender. Alternatively, you can get good crumbs by simply rubbing the cake gently, much as if you were sanding it. Sounds wierd, but it worked for me.

3) Place the chocolate, cream and essence in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.

3) Stir the chocolate with a metal spoon until melted.

4) Stir in the cake crumbs until well combined.

5) Sprinkle the cocoa in a thick layer over a plate.

6) Using the teaspoon, scoop out small bits of the chocolate mix and roll into balls. Drop the balls into the cocoa or chocolate drinking powder and roll to cover completely. Place in a lined tray and put in the fridge.

Step 5: And Now for Something Completely Different

Some variations!

Valentine's idea: Make up whatever flavour your beloved likes best, and dip in white chocolate that has been dyed pink (or some other suitable colour) with food colouring. Use the truffle dipper. Once set, impale on wooden skewers with some cut our paper leaves for an edible bouquet.

Milk chocolate with chopped walnuts and 2 drops coffee essence or coffee liqueur.

White chocolate with 2 tablespoons of Lipton instant chai latte powder (one of those just-add-water type drinks).

White chocolate with vanilla bean paste (the proper stuff with vanilla seeds in, not just the essence), dipped in milk chocolate.

Dessicated coconut and 2 tbsp Malibu in white chocolate, dipped in dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate with chopped glace cherries and cherry liqueur.

For the cake truffles:

Orange liqueur and dark chocolate rolled in cocoa.

Baileys Irish Cream rolled in chocolate sprinkles.

And for the kids, white chocolate and vanilla cake, separated into batches and add food colouring to each batch to make bright colours, then roll in sprinkes.