Chocolate truffles

One of my blogger friends pointed out the chocolate truffle recipe and video from Mark Bittman in last Wednesday's NYT Food section. It had been a while since I made truffles and since I had a block of Caillebaut dark chocolate in the cupboard, I decided to make some. I cannot underscore enough how easy these truffles are, however, good ingredients are key. I used the French chocolate and some heavy cream from a local dairy. I also added a dash of cinnamon.

I put the finished truffles into gold foil candy cups, placed four in a little favor box, and wrapped a pretty green ribbon around each box. I am going to give these to my friends at work for Christmas.

Chocolate truffle recipe from Mark Bittman:

7/8 cup heavy cream

8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Unsweetened cocoa powder as needed.

1. Heat cream in a pot until it steams. Put chocolate in a bowl, pour hot cream on top, and stir until chocolate is melted and incorporated into cream.

2. Chill until solid all the way through, 1 to 2 hours. Using a chilled melon baller or latex gloves to prevent the ganache from melting or sticking to your hands, scoop out about a tablespoonful and quickly roll it into a ball. Repeat, lining truffles on a plate or a baking sheet.

3. If truffles become too soft to handle, place them in refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes. Roll them in cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar or a mixture of sugar and ground cinnamon. Serve immediately or store, wrapped in plastic, in refrigerator for up to four days.

Yield: About 1 1/2 cups ganache, or 24 truffles.