European Recipes :French Recipes : Chocolate Truffles (french-style)

Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

       Title: CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (FRENCH-STYLE)
Categories: Candies, Usenet
       Yield: 5 pounds

       3 lb Chocolate (semi-sweet
            -or semi-bittersweet)
       1 qt Cream, very heavy
     1/2 lb Butter, sweet (i.e.
            -unsalted butter)
            Cocoa powder

   Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Do not cook the
   chocolate. This should be done SLOWLY over minimum heat.

   Boil the cream. Once the chocolate is completely melted and the cream just
   boiled, combine in the top of the double boiler. Take off the top pan from
   the water, and (off heat) mix until completely combined. Keep stirring
   until it is relatively cool. Allow to sit until it is cool enough to put
   into a refrigerator.

   Refrigerate overnight (NO SHORT CUTS HERE!!!).

   The next morning, melt this wonderful mixture again in a double boiler.
   When it is completely melted again, mix in the butter until it is
   completely absorbed. Whip, either with a hand whisk or a very slow electric
   gizmo, until the butter is completely absorbed and the mixture is cool
   again. This can take an hour or longer, depending upon the chocolate, etc.
   Let cool and refrigerate overnight once more (this is not as critical as
   the first cooling; a few hours will be enough).

   Heat once again and whip until cool.   Refrigerate until it is thick enough
   to pipe through a pastry bag. Using a 1/2 nozzle, make little balls on a
   big piece of parchment paper that has cocoa powder spread on it. Roll in
   the powder. Keep chilled until just before serving. Let them return to just
   above room temperature before eating.

   NOTES:

   * French-style chocolate confectionery -- For those of you who are crazy
   enough about chocolate to go to the extremes that I do, here is the recipe
   for the chocolate truffles that I make. The formula is taken from Paul
   Bocuse's "French Cooking," but the directions are my own.

   * If you like Grand Marnier or Kahlua or rum or whatever in your
   chocolate, the last melting step is the time to add. I think it's a small
   but forgivable sin myself.

   * I recommend Guittard chocolate. You can buy their semisweet chips in 12
   ounce bags. You can also buy it in 10 pound bars. You can also buy
   10-pound bars of Guittards "French Vanilla Semi bittersweet" which is so
   good you might eat all of it before you cook with it. Guittard makes 5
   types of bittersweet if you like you chocolate really bitter. I use
   Hershey's Cocoa. Still the best for my taste.

   * Use genuine, real-live, honest "heavy cream" and not ultra-pasteurized
   whipping cream. Try a wholesale dairy. I only use Challenge Sweet Butter.
   Under no circumstances should you use anything but unsalted butter in this
   recipe.

   : Difficulty: quite difficult (melting the chocolate 3 times requires
   tremendous care).
   : Time: 3 or 4 hours of preparation during a 3-day period.
   : Precision: measure the ingredients.