5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Chocolate Truffles

published Dec 13, 2017
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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Chocolate truffles are arguably one of the easiest candies to make at home. But with just two ingredients, any error can have a rippling effect. Whether you’re making your first batch of truffles or your 100th, these five pitfalls can be avoided with just a little foresight. Here are five potential truffle mistakes to avoid, and what to do instead.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

1. Using the wrong chocolate.

Not all chocolates are created equal and since chocolate makes up more than 50 percent of the ganache mixture for truffles, you’ve got to break out the good stuff. Cheap chocolate or chips can result in a grainy, not smooth, truffle center.

Try this: Look for high-quality chocolate in the 60 to 70% range. Avoid chips or bars that can have hardening agents.

2. Not finely chopping the chocolate.

For melting or folding into batters, roughly chopped chocolate can do just fine, but for truffles, finely chopped chocolate is mandatory for the smoothest bite.

Try this: Finely chop the chocolate before adding the warmed cream for the ganache. This will help the chocolate melt faster and produce a smoother end result.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

3. Not properly heating the cream.

You can make two mistakes when it comes to the cream for your truffles: it’s either too cold to melt the chocolate, or too hot and scorches the chocolate.

Try this: Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat or heat small amounts of cream in the microwave. Cool the cream for a minute before pouring over the chopped chocolate.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

4. Trying to scoop too-warm ganache.

Once the cream and chocolate are whisked together, you have a thick, smooth mixture known as ganache. You might think that it’s scoopable right out of the bowl, but you’ll need to cool it properly before scooping and rolling.

Try this: Pour the ganache into a shallow pan to cool in the fridge. You can scoop the ganache into tablespoon-sized rounds after about 30 minutes.

5. Leaving the truffles unadorned.

You can absolutely eat your truffles right after scooping and rolling, but besides being beautiful, covering the truffles with anything from nuts to cocoa powder protects the creamy centers from bumps, bruises, and moisture in the fridge.

Try these: Cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles, finely chopped nuts, or cereal all make fine coverings for truffles. You have at least one of these in your pantry. Truffles can also be covered in more melted chocolate for the ultimate treat.