Chocolate truffle

Chocolate truffle is a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, cocoa powder or chopped toasted nuts (typically hazelnuts, almonds or coconut), usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape. Their name derives from their resemblance to truffles, edible fungi of the genus Tuber.

History

The chocolate truffle was first created by Louis Dufour, a pastry chef from Chambéry, France in December 1895. They reached a wider public with the establishment of the Prestat chocolate shop in London by Antoine Dufour in 1902, which still sells 'Napoleon III' truffles made to the original recipe.

Preparation

Chocolate truffles are made by creating a filling, or 'ganache', which is a mixture of chocolate and cream. This is typically made by boiling cream and pouring it over chopped chocolate, then mixing until smooth. The ganache is then chilled until firm and rolled into balls, which are coated in tempered chocolate, cocoa powder, or nuts.

Varieties

There are three main types of chocolate truffles: American, European, and Swiss. The American truffle is a half-egg shaped chocolate-coated truffle, a mixture of dark or milk chocolates with butterfat and, in some cases, hardened coconut oil. The European truffle is made with syrup and a base made up of cocoa powder, milk powder, fats, and other such ingredients to create an oil-in-water type emulsion. The Swiss truffle is made by combining melted chocolate into a boiling mixture of dairy cream and butter, which is poured into molds to set before sprinkling with cocoa powder.

See also

• List of chocolate dishes
• Belgian chocolate
• Swiss chocolate
• French chocolate

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