Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

Dark and lucious with roasted hazelnut and cocoa filling these truffles just melt-in-your-mouth. You can top them with just about anything, but we like them best rolled in more toasted hazelnuts! 

Ingredients:

12 ounces high quality semi-sweet chocolate (I use Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips)

¾ cups heavy cream

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pinch salt

1 cup crushed hazelnuts

Unsweetened cocoa powder, optional coating

Chocolate sprinkles, optional coating

Finely-chopped (or crushed) roasted hazelnuts (or almonds, cashews or pistachios), optional coating

Preparation:

Begin by gathering and preparing all of your ingredients according to the ingredients list above to have ready and organized for use.

Place your chocolate into medium-large, heat-proof bowl. (You can warm your bowl under hot, running water and thoroughly dry it to help the chocolate melt more easily.)

Add your cream, vanilla and pinch of salt into a small sauce pan or small pot, and slowly heat until bubbling and very hot. Pour this hot cream mixture over the chocolate and crushed hazelnuts, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel (optional), and allow things to sit for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to heat and begin to melt.

After 5 minutes, whisk the cream/chocolate mixture until it becomes a ganache, completely smooth and glossy (if any chocolate remains unmelted, place the bowl into the microwave for a few seconds at a time to help it melt).

Using a spatula, gently scrape the ganache into a clean glass dish or large, shallow bowl, and place into the fridge to chill and firm for 2 hours.

Once chilled and firm, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper to place your truffles on; then, use a tablespoon to scoop the ganache and portion out the truffles, and quickly roll each portion between your palms (using either bare hands or latex gloves) and place onto the prepared baking sheet. (If the ganache seems too soft once portioned out, then pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so until firmed up a bit more, and then roll into truffle shapes.)

Chill the rolled truffles for 30 minutes to re-set and firm.

To decorate, quickly and gently roll each chilled truffle in the coating(s) of your choice, then place back onto your baking sheet. Chill the coated truffles for 30 minutes to an hour before transferring them to a covered container, and storing in the fridge.

Tips & Tidbits for my Chocolate Truffles:

Choice of chocolate: For this basic chocolate truffle recipe here, I’m opting for high quality semi-sweet chocolate, and love using Guittard brand semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a good quality bar. If you prefer darker chocolate, then opt for your favorite good quality dark chocolate bar, and chop finely by hand. Or, you can use a combo of dark and milk chocolate.

Thoroughly chill your ganache: Once you prepare your chocolate ganache, allow at least 2 hours for it to chill in the fridge before scooping and rolling into truffle shapes. Ganache melts very easily when rolled in between warm hands, so allowing it to chill and firm gives you a good head start. Also, chill the truffles once more for 30 minutes once scooped and rolled into shape, and then keep them cold once rolled in their coating.

Use bare hands or food service latex gloves when rolling chocolate truffles: I’ve tried it both ways, and personally, I prefer using my bare hands. I wash them in cold water for a moment and thoroughly dry them, then quickly roll the ganache into truffle shapes. The gloves gave me less control and “feel”, and I didn’t like using them as much, but they did keep my hands clean.

Tasty coatings to roll your chocolate truffles in: I’m opting for a combo of roasted, finely-chopped or crushed hazelnuts, cocoa, and chocolate sprinkles here, but you could also use shredded coconut, finely-chopped roasted almonds or cashews, or even pistachios!