Baking A Sweet Life

Like most things I attempt for the first (or second) time, the results are mediocre.  Sometimes I get lucky, and sometimes I get persistent.  The latter was the case with the truffles.  You see, Charity and I had chosen truffles to kick off our SOB baking bonanza.  I did the first batch exactly according to her directions.  And they were a hopeless failure.  The ganache never set up firm enough to withstand the warm (90F) melted chocolate, and I felt more like a child in the kitchen, making more of a mess than an edible creation.

I did some research in other books I have, including Truffles by Dede Wilson, and on youTube, and I got a few valuable lessons.

*It is now my experience that I need more than a 8oz chocolate : 1 cup heavy cream ratio for the ganache to be firm enough to withstand the rolling and subsequent melted chocolate.

*instead of keeping the ganache in a bowl to cool in the fridge, put it on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  This will give more surface area to the cool fridge air, and allow for a more stiff ganache.

*if the ganache is too soft as to not even hold a real ball when rolling, then it definitely won’t withstand the warm melted chocolate.

*Its easier to cut the ganache into even squares (to then be rolled) by using a pastry cutter dipped in water.

*Lastly, I definitely like the crunch of the chocolate coating than without.

Peanut Butter Truffles (adapted from Truffles by Dede Wilson):

1 cup heavy cream
1 lb plus 2 oz milk chocolate
6 Tablespoons natural, lightly salted smooth Peanut Butter

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, crushed into small pieces
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. Place cream in a 2-quart wide saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer.  Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle milk chocolate into cream.  Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes; the heat should melt the chocolate.  Stir very gently until smooth.

2. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Pour mixture into a half-sheet pan that is covered with plastic wrap, and cover the top in plastic wrap as well.  Let sit out at room temperature for 2 hours to cool, then place in fridge for 4 hours to firm up.

3.  Melt 8 oz bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler until it reaches 90F, not letting it go above 115F. Gently stir until temp is reached.  Once at 90F, place in a shallow plate or dipping dish.

4. Combine the chopped nuts and finely chopped chocolate into a shallow dipping bowl or plate.

5. Using a pastry knife, cut the ganache into 60 even squares, and roll each into a ball.

6. It will certainly be messy, but roll each ball in the chocolate by hand and then drop the ball into the crushed peanut and chocolate mixture, then place onto a parchment lined sheet pan or in a mini muffin liner.  It helps to keep the water of the double boiler at a simmer the entire time so that when the chocolate cools to the point of being too thick, you can just warm it up right over the warm water.

7. Be prepared to lose your mind with the incredible flavor! These went in a flash at work, with people often eating over 6 each!!!

Be sure to check out Charity’s truffles! She’s deciding what we’re baking next, and I can’t wait to find out!