Now you might say that taking Chocolate Truffles to a picnic is a bit daft. Surely the chocolate will melt? Well, not really, if you're prepared to do a little bit of prep. Depending on how many people you'll be serving, I suggest transporting the truffles in a small insulated lunch bag. Put the truffles in a container and put the container in the Insulated Lunch Bag. Yes, truffles can go in the cooler, but they might absorb other odors, get smashed, get too cold or worse. The insulated container shouldn't be freezing--no ice or ice packs. Truffles are best served at room temperature, but if 'you're going on a picnic', you don't want a gooey mess, either.
The truffles in my photo are Tequila Truffles, and I dunked them in more chocolate to form a hard coating. I sometimes roll Tequila Truffles (the ganache part) in cocoa, but you can also dip them in dark chocolate and sprinkle with course sea salt. Talk about the perfect Tequila Truffle!
This recipe is adapted from Divine Chocolate. I probably didn't need 100 or more truffles as in the original recipe :-) I must admit that I'm a bit haphard in measurements when I make them. I adhere to my grandmothers's a pinch of this, a pinch of that method. I daresay, though, that my grandmother would never have made Tequila Truffles.
TEQUILA TRUFFLES
INGREDIENTS
14 oz. white chocolate, chopped into small chunks
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tsp. white tequila
1 tsp. grated lime zest
Drop of fresh lemon juice and drop of fresh lime juice or 1/4 tsp each of lime and lemon oil (natural)
Coating
1 - 1 1/4 lbs. dark chocolate (70% cacao) for dipping, chopped into small chunks
Coarse sea salt
Directions for the Ganache:
1. Line a shallow baking pan with saran wrap or any plastic wrap, overlapping 2 or more sheets as needed, and leaving a generous overhang on two sides (enough to cover the ganache once it is in the pan).
2. Place the white chocolate in a food processor and process to a crumb consistency. Add the tequila, zest, and juice or oils.
3. Bring the cream to a boil in a small pan. With the food processor on, pour the cream through the feed tube, processing for a total of 20-30 seconds, until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Scrape the ganache into the plastic wrap-lined pan and let cool at room temperature, without stirring it.
4. Once the ganache is cool, fold the plastic wrap over it and let sit at room temperature for several hours, preferably overnight, until firm enough to scoop. You can always refrigerate, but the texture of the truffles won’t be quite as silky. Once the ganache has set, chilling won’t hurt it.
5. To shape the truffles, use a melon baller to form balls of ganache. If needed, smooth the surface with hands. (I do both)
6. Place the centers (ganache balls) slightly apart on a tray lined with parchment or wax paper. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, until the surface is dry and slightly crusted, at least 2 hours, preferably longer.
Directions for the Coating:
1. Temper the dark chocolate by melting about 75% of the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave until it reaches about 100°F. Add the remaining 25% of solid chocolate to the bowl and mix until it all melts and the temperature reaches about 90°F. Dip truffles one at a time (I use the two fork method I've posted before) in melted chocolate, let excess drip off and place on a tray lined with parchment or wax paper.
2. Sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt before chocolate begins to harden. Continue with remaining truffles, but if the dark chocolate becomes to cool, reheat a bit until it gets back up to about 90°F.
3. Let sit at room temperature. Store the truffles in a covered container at cool room temperature for up to 10 days, or refrigerate for up to a month. I don't freeze chocolate, but you can.
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Enjoy the Picnic! What are the other "letters" bringing? Here's the list. Be sure and click on everyone. What a feast! Thanks, Months of Edible Celebrations, for putting this all together!
A is for Apricot Cobbler
B is for Banana Cream Pie
C is for Cherry Bars in a Jar
D is for Diva Doggie Bites
E is for Emeril's Strawberry Lemonade
F-Fingerling Potato Salad w/ Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette
G is for Gugelhopf Twister
H is for Honey Graham Roll-ups
I is for Incredible "Rabbit" Pineapple Tarts
J-
K-Kirschmichel
L is for Lime Cranberry Fizz
M is for Mint Sundae Brownie Squares
N is for Nice Mini Biscuit Sandwiches
O is for Orange Nut Ring
P is for Pan-Bagnat Provencal
Q is for Quick Lemon Bread
R is for Rhubarb Rugah-Love
S is for Salmon Salad
T- Well, that's this post for Tequila Truffles!
More to come...
