Gourmet Chocolate Truffles

Do you want to know more about gourmet chocolate truffles? There's a lot to learn when it comes to these little spheres of chocolaty love, but perhaps the most important thing you need to know about truffles is that they're easy to make.

Have you ever made truffles?

It's so easy to make truffles at home that you might wonder why you spent so much money buying them. Seriously - truffles are only three ingredients: chocolate, cream and vanilla. You melt the chocolate, add the cream and vanilla, then mold into small balls with your hands. That’s it!

For those that need a little more detail, here's an official truffle recipe. Makes 30-40 truffles, depending on how large you roll them.

• 10 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Coatings: cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, or whatever else you like

1. With a large, sharp knife, chop chocolate into very small pieces. You want it to be as fine as possible so that it melts evenly.
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate slowly over hot water. Stir the chocolate until it has melted completely.
3. Remove the chocolate from heat and stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Work quickly, making sure to mix well. You now have what is called ganache.
4. Allow to cool and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This will chill it to a workable consistency.
5. Once the ganache is chilled, prepare your workstation with a bowl of your intended truffle coating and a baking sheet lined with parchment.
6. Using a teaspoon, scoop out a small amount of chocolate and form it into a ball with your hands, then roll them lightly in the bowl of coating until they are completely covered. If the ganache begins to get too soft and sticky, place it in the fridge for another 20 minutes.
7. As you finish them, place the balls on the parchment.
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tuffles make a great gift.

If you aren't interested in making your own chocolate truffles, then the next best thing is to buy them from a reputable chocolatier. All sorts of companies produce truffles - some on a mass scale, and some on a small-scale, artisan basis. Mass producers of chocolates will be a lot cheaper to buy from, while artisan candies tend to be more expensive.

Here are a few larger companies that sell truffles, some of which you can purchase from through the Internet:

• Sees Candies has been making chocolates since 1921, and they are one of America's favorite candy companies. With locations all over the country, there is probably a Sees Candies location near you - and if there's not, they now sell their delectable chocolates over the Internet.
• Godiva Chocolates is a very popular high-class chocolatier that you'll find in upscale malls. Their truffles are known for being of very high quality, though they offer their truffle recipe on their website in case you'd like to try making Godiva truffles at home.

These small companies are pricier, but produce something truly special:

• Vosges Haute Chocolate is a small-scale artisan chocolatier that sells truffles to both shops and the public. Though the company has grown over the years, they still very much adhere to hand-made ideals.
• Cocoa Bella is another small-scale company that has developed a serious reputation for creating fine chocolates. Their popularity has not compromised their quality, and you will find that Cocoa Bella truffles are every bit as special as they were in the beginning.

Making gourmet chocolate truffles at home is a great way to surprise your family and friends. Imagine how thrilled they'll be at such a lovely, personal gift! If you want to learn more about making truffles, here are some great Internet resources:

• Cooking for Engineers has a great truffle tutorial that talks about the process of making candies from a scientific standpoint. With full color photos, you'll be making your own truffles in no time.
• The Joy of Baking has an excellent set of instructions online, including how to make chocolate cups that you can fill with other goodies.
• If you're more of a visual learner, these video tutorials on how to make truffles might be right up your alley. Caterer Lauren Taylor walks you through each step of the process, ensuring that you'll have perfect, homemade truffles.
• If regular truffles aren't your thing, why not try making peanut butter truffles?

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