Chocolate Truffles – A Chocolate Lovers Dream

Truffles Chocolate

The term chocolate truffles evoke a visual image of pure decadence.

What is a chocolate truffle?
A chocolate truffle is a chocolate confection in a round, conical, or curved shape. It should be two parts chocolate to one part cream.

What types of truffles are available?
There are three types of truffles available: American, European, and Swiss truffles. American truffles are shaped like half an egg and are covered by chocolate. The European truffle is made with a cocoa powder and syrup. The Swiss truffle is made with dairy cream and butter combined with melted chocolate. These types of truffles have a very short shelf life.

The most challenging part of making chocolate truffles is forming the ganache base. Once the base is formed, you can just simply roll truffle in cocoa powder or you can cover it with chocolate. This is a traditional truffle. You can also roll the chocolate truffle in nuts, sprinkles, shaved chocolate, or coconut or any other topping you prefer. Now you are ready to impress your friends with homemade chocolate truffles.

A Tasty History of Chocolate Truffles

The cocoa press was a great breakthrough because it allowed candy makers to create a solid chocolate bar for the first time. The very first solid chocolate candies were produced in Bristol England by Fry’s back in 1847.

The first solid chocolate was produced by combining cocoa powder and sugar with the newly developed cocoa butter and special flavorings like vanilla. Swiss entrepreneur Henri Nestlé developed an exclusive recipe known as “milk chocolate” by combining the new solid chocolate with a powder made of dehydrated milk and sugar.

Nestlé’s new milk chocolate was an instant sales phenomenon, and soon spurred a host of imitators around the world. Experimentation among chocolate producers in France led to the development of ganache, which is the center core of the modern truffle.

Chocolate truffles began to be made using this confection, and were often flavored with other ingredients such as dark or white chocolate, cocoa powder, or almonds or other chopped nuts. Since that time, French chocolate truffles have come to represent the finest and most luxurious candies available.

Other posts you may be interested in reading: gourmet chocolates

Chocolate Truffles video