Chocolate Southern Comfort Truffles on Day 53

photo by Simon Howden

    A man I know just barely know turns up everywhere.  He appears in sushi restaurants, philosophical lectures, plant stores. For six weeks we even trained in the same dojo. Odd coincidences.  This person brings to mind a cross between Yoda and a garden gnome, and he loves chocolate truffles.  Beginning with Chef Alicia Prescotte's recipe published in a Jr. League cookbook, continuing with advice from the December 2011, Cook's Illustrated, and tweaking along the way; here's what I whipped up and gave  him:

Chocolate Truffles with Southern Comfort


Ganache
12 oz.  Lindt Dark Chocolate  (3 1/2  bars), chopped
6 oz. Ghiridelli Milk Chocolate Chips
3 oz. heavy cream
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T Southern Comfort (which has about the same alcohol content  vanilla extract)


Coating
1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, darkest you can find
1/4 cup powdered sugar


Gently melt the chocolate in a double boiler, and remove it from heat.  Meanwhile, in  separate saucepan, bring the cream and butter just barely to a boil.  Pour the cream-butter mixture over the chocolate, add the Southern Comfort,  and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. (Avoid electric mixers and whisks, which incorporate more air into this mixture, encouraging a gritty, grainy truffle, which you don't want.) Pour into a 9x9 inch square cakepan lined with parchment or waxed paper. Allow the mixture to cool gradually to room temperature out on the counter (not in the fridge, where it cools too rapidly,  often developing a sandy texture).  A couple of hours seemed to be long enough for my truffle mixture, but some candy-makers like to leave it out overnight. 


When you're positively sure the soon-to-be-truffles are no warmer than room temp, pop them in the refrigerator for about an hour or two, making them firm enough to handle. 


Using a sharp knife, warmed with hot water and dried completely, slice as you would fudge or brownies, to the size you like.  I like them to be about the size of a large marble, one big bite or two nibbles.  Many chocolatiers prefer a more generously sized truffle, and this is totally your call. 


Sift the cocoa powder together with the powdered sugar twice, sifting the second time into a flat-bottomed bowl or pan.   Wearing food service disposable gloves dusted with cocoa powder mixed with powdered sugar, roll the sliced ganache cubes into spheres.  Place them into the cocoa powder and sugar mixture, and roll them around to coat.  This coating makes it possible to pick one up without stickiness. 


Place the truffles in a well-sealed container; you don't want to let them dry out!  Store refrigerated, but serve at room temperature.


While the Yoda-like man was extremely gracious upon receiving his truffles, and they were delicious, the presentation would be better with tempered chocolate coating rather than the cocoa dusting.   Sadly, these chocolates looked a little bit inelegant and a lot like moose poo.

photo credit for gnome picture:
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=404">Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p>