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BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE MINT TRUFFLES: |
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1 1/4 cups heavy cream, plus an additiona, 2 tablespoons if needed |
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6 - 3inch sprigsfresh chocolate mint or peppermint |
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1 pound premium bittersweet chocolate, such as Callebaut, Valrhona, or El Rey |
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About 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa |
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WHITE CHOCOLATE TARRAGON TRUFFLES: |
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3/4 cup heavy cream, plus an additional 2 tablespoons if needed |
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4 3-inch sprigsfresh French tarragon |
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1 pound premium white chocolate, such as Callebaut or Lindt |
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About 1/2 cup finely ground pistachio nuts |
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1. Infuse the cream. Pour the cream into a small (1 quart) saucepan and bring it to a
boil over medium-high heat. Add the herb sprigs, push them under the surface of the
liquid with a spoon, and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan
and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the cream through a fine sieve into a large liquid
measuring cup, pressing down firmly on the flavorings to extract all the liquid from
the leaves. Check the measurement of the infused cream; it should equal 1 1/4 cups.
Top it off with the additional cream if needed. Return the cream to the saucepan.
2. Ganache. Chop the chocolate so that most of the pieces are less than V2 inch and
put it in a food processor. Heat the cream until it comes to a full boil and immediately
pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute, then turn on the machine
and process until smooth. You now have an herbal ganache. Using a rubber spatula,
transfer it to a small container. Let it sit at room temperature until set, about 2 hours.
3. Forming the truffles. Using a tiny ice cream scoop, a melon baller, or a teaspoon,
scoop the ganache into %-inch balls and put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. After all the balls are scooped, quickly roll each one between your palms using
steady light pressure to form perfect balls. If you have trouble with the chocolate
melting in your palms (some people have warmer hands than others), wash your
hands, dip them in a bowl of ice water, dry them thoroughly, and try again. If you are
working in a warm room, refrigerate the truffles for about 15 minutes before you roll.
4. Coating. Put the cocoa or pistachios in a medium mixing bowl and drop in 6 truffles.
Swirl the bowl to coat the truffles evenly. Transfer the coated truffles to a large
strainer and bang the side of the strainer with your palm to knock off the excess coating.
Place the coated truffles in a plastic storage container. Repeat the process with the
remaining truffles. Tightly cover the truffles and store in the refrigerator up to
2 weeks. Let them come to room temperature before serving. |
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