French Chocolate Truffles
The French are known the world over for their skills in
crafting the most decadent desserts. And for a while, chocolate reigned as the
premier drink at the fashionable court of France.
In time, the French raised chocolate cuisine to new heights, even coining the
term used today to describe master chocolate makers—chocolatier.
Ingredients: 1 cup sweet (unsalted) butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup brandy
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions:
1) In a heavy saucepan, cut the butter into pieces and melt it over medium-low
heat. Then, turn up the heat to full medium, and when the butter bubbles, stir
it to mix it well. When the bubbling turns to foam, remove the butter from the
heat.
2) Let the butter settle for five minutes, then skim any remaining foam from the
top. Carefully pour the clear liquid into a cup, leaving the light brown
sediment in the pan. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.
3) Return the clarified butter to the clean saucepan. Add the chopped chocolate.
Stir the mixture over very low heat until the chocolate has melted and blended
smoothly with the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and cool it slightly.
Stir in the brandy.
4) Refrigerate the mixture for several hours or overnight, until it is firm
enough to handle. (Stir it occasionally to prevent the butter from separating.)
5) Shape the chilled mixture into irregular balls, about 1 to 1-1/4 inches in
diameter.
6) Sprinkle the cocoa on a sheet of wax paper and roll the truffles in it to
coat them. Place the truffles in a single layer on a cookie sheet and
refrigerate them until firm. Then store the truffles between sheets of wax paper
in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. (They’ll keep well for
several weeks.) Serve chilled.
Makes 3 to 3-1/2 dozen truffles.
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