Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken truffles? ›

If your ganache isn't firm enough to scoop into balls, you can chill it in the fridge to harden. Or, whip it very briefly until the color just begins to lighten—about 30 seconds on medium-low with a hand mixer. Let it set again and it will firm up.

Homemade truffles can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and for up to 6 months in the freezer. For the best texture and flavor, bring them to room temperature before serving. Even if you're planning on gifting your chocolate truffles, be sure to store them in the fridge or freezer.

Presentation: Truffles are typically shaped into small spheres and coated with a dusting of cocoa powder, sugar, or nuts. Ganache is more flexible in presentation, as it can be used as a filling, glaze, or frosting, adapting to the specific dessert or recipe.

Full-fat coconut milk or a blend of coconut milk and coconut cream are an ideal substitute for heavy cream. The truffles in this photo are made from canned coconut milk; I recommend choosing a brand that is in a container that doesn't contain BPA.

If the mixture is getting too soft, put it in the fridge or freezer and let it firm up before continuing.

Chocolate truffles can be expensive for several reasons, including the cost of base ingredients, the production process, and their reputation. Firstly, even when produced on an industrial level, gourmet truffles require high-quality chocolate, cream, and butter, all of which can be expensive by themselves.

Because of the fresh cream, truffles do need to be chilled (and no, a chilly garage does not count!). To keep the truffles fresh, seal them in an airtight container. This will prevent any fridge smells from infiltrating the delicate chocolate flavors. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make chocolate truffles.

To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you're ready to give them. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days, or frozen for up to a month.

Push nuts to one end, leaving a thin layer of nuts on the "thin" end. Place your dipped truffles on the thin layer of nuts. Before they set up, take a spoon of nuts or have a helper cover the coated truffles with another layer of nuts. You keep doing this building up 2 or 3 layers of truffles.

It is possible to freeze truffles, but be aware that the taste, aroma and texture of frozen truffle does not quite match fresh ones. When a frozen truffle is defrosted it is soft, so, if you have to freeze them, they are best used from frozen.

How do you thicken ganache for truffles? ›

To thicken your ganache, try putting it in the fridge for an hour. After half an hour, take it out and stir it to help it set. If you don't have an hour to wait, try adding more melted chocolate. For a thick ganache, you'll want twice as much chocolate as cream.

Take a small amount of the tempered chocolate into your palm, and then place a truffle on top. Roll the truffle on your palm so that it's evenly coated with the tempered chocolate. Place the coated truffle on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all of the truffles.

The centers are also called ganaches, similar to the thick, creamy icing sometimes poured over cakes, only much thicker. This ganache, though, does not flow like that icing and holds its round shape perfectly. That's essentially all there is to a chocolate truffle.

Use a higher chocolate-to-cream ratio to produce a thicker ganache. Milk chocolate, white chocolate, and compound chocolate all melt down to a thinner consistency than dark chocolate does. For a thicker ganache, like for truffles, use a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream.

Scoop the truffle mixture into mounds on a lined baking sheet. (Pictured above.) Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes so the mounds “dry out.” After that, they are a little less sticky to roll.

Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens. Double Cream: Stirring in a splash of double cream can instantly enrich and thicken your drink, giving it a velvety texture.

Also, says out senior food editor Andy Baraghani, adding too much of a liquid will make the truffles challenging to roll; they won't hold their shape because they'll be too watery. With alcohols—that includes extracts—you'll want to wait to add them until you take the mixture off the heat.