I mentioned in the last post this week has had a rocky start, to say the least, I wish I could report that it has leveled a bit, however today was pretty chaotic as well, a snow storm has decided to visit us, every appointment we had today ran 15 minutes late, and DF ‘s plane was delayed over an hour, due to operations which always causes me to worry. We found out the woman who was responsible for the car accident yesterday had been intoxicated and uninsured. On a positive note Sydney only dislocated a few ribs, painful yes,but minor considering.
I have seemed to gone off the truffle track. This is day 2 on the Halloween Count Down of treats. Truffles are a Noto Unit Holiday tradition; each year Sydney and I challenge ourselves to create a new flavor for the ganache. This year we decided on a vanilla-espresso with a hint of cinnamon. When Sydney tasted the ganache she proclaimed we had invented a new delectable chocolate flavor, I will let you be the judge. On half of the ruffles we added dulce de leche in the center and the other half was only ganache, this recipe tastes exquisite both ways.
Dulce de Leche Truffles:
250 grams/ 1 1/8 cups heavy cream
1 cinnamon stick
70 grams/ 1/3 cup glucose
60 grams/ ½ cup liquor
620 grams/ 3 2/3 cups dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
760 grams dulce de leche, 2 cans of store bought ducle de leche or you can prepare it homemade, we choose the store bought
Prepare your mise en place.
Infuse the cream with the cinnamon stick, espresso beans, and vanilla powder. Bring the cream mixture to a kiss of a boil, remove from heat, and allow the mixture to steep for about 5 minutes.
While the cream steeps finely chop the bittersweet chocolate.
Strain the infused cream through several layers of a cheese cloth, take care the cream is completely clear of any granolas and powder.
You will have to add more cream to achieve the same measurement as before. Add the glucose to the cream mixture and bring to a boil again.
Place the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in a large bowl, pour the hot infused cream over the chocolate.
Allow the cream and chocolate to rest for a few minutes.
Starting from the center of the bowl stir in a circular motion towards the outside. Keep stirring till the mixture becomes very shiny and turns into ganache.
Add the Calvados and repeat the stirring procedure.
Pour into a 8×13-inch glass pan, cover with film touching the ganache, and place with in the refrigerator for two hours.
In the meantime prepare the ducle de leche balls. Using a melon baller, scoop about ½ of the melon baller full of the dulce de leche onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator till needed.
Once the chocolate is ready to come back in, using a melon baller, scoop chocolate, roll into a ball, with your thumb push an indent. Add a ball of dulce de leche, continue to roll into a ball again, and place onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for over night.
Chocolate shell coating:
500 grams/ 16-ounceBittersweet chocolate melted and tempered
Prepare either a Bain Marie water bath or use a tabletop tempering machine.
Temper the chocolate to 32 degrees C/ 89 degrees F.
Dip the chilled truffles into the tempered chocolate and place on a cooling rack over a jellyroll pan lined with parchment paper.
I promise these will not disappoint, and might become a holiday tradition for your family unit!
For more fun Halloween confectionary baking and decorating projects click on the photos below
All new post can found at new home site: 5th Avenue Cake Designs
I would love to be one of your taste testers! Hugs to Sydney!
I will gladly take a few of those wonderful treats! Just the name of these would give anyone hunger pangs.
Glad to hear that Sydney only had minor injuries. Recovery time is never fun, so I wish her a speedy recovery.
Tina, you are so “sweet”. I would love to send some your way, but am sure you could create them just as well