Valentine's Chocolate-Caramel Truffles - Recipe of Pierre Herme

What have you done on Valentine's Day? I made the chocolate truffles for my lover ^^ The recipe is adapted from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme. The original one is for about 55 truffles, I used half of the amount and made about 28 truffles.


Chocolate-Caramel truffles: original recipe for 55 truffles


1 cup (250 g) heavy cream
10 oz. (285 g) bittersweet chocolate (around 70%), finely chopped
6 oz. (170 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (200 g) sugar
2 1/2 tbsp (1 1/4 oz.; 40 g) butter at room temperature, cubed
pinch of sea salt
dutch-processed cocoa powder (P.H uses Valrhona)

Instructions:
- Boil the cream in a saucepan and keep it hot.
- Mix the chocolate together in a heatproof big bowl; set aside.
- Melt 3 tbsp sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the sugar starts to take on color, stir it with a wooden spoon and add another 3 tbsp of the sugar. Stirring constantly, caramelise this new batch of sugar, then add another 3 tbsp. Continue until all of the sugar has been added and it turns a rich amber color. Lower the heat and stir in the butter and salt. Add the hot cream in a slow, steady stream. Keep stirring until the caramel settles down and is smooth, remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour about one-third of the caramel into the center of the chocolate and, working with the wooden spoon, gently stir the creamy caramel into the chocolate in ever-widening concentric circles. When the ganache is smooth, add half of the remaining caramel, blending it into the chocolate in circlesm then finish with the rest of the caramel in the same manner. When the ganache is cool, cover it with plasic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Shaping: Dust your palms with cocoa powder. Prepare enough cocoa powder in a bowl ( or something else you like, such as coconuts, roasted nuts... ), scoop a dollop of ganache and toss it in the cocoa powder until it is well coated, shake off the extra cocoa, set it aside on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

The truffles are better stored in air-tight tins and served in room temperature. After you have fulfilled your Valentine's task, consume them as quickly as possible or give them to your friends as gifts--- if there are still any left! :)

 

今年的情人节你做巧克力了吗？我一早就计划了要做松露巧克力。这是我最爱的巧克力品种，一是因为吃到嘴里入口即化的感觉，二是truffles形态的巧克力吃起来分外香浓。有“法国甜点王”之称的Pierre Herme著有食谱一本叫《巧克力甜点》，里边的这个焦糖味的松露巧克力食谱非常经典和有代表性。PH之所以能有如此大的名气，其实完全在于他做甜点的态度：对每一个细节都精益求精。这个焦糖版本的truffles，从原料的选择到液体倾倒的角度到搅拌的圆圈的大小都很讲究，怪不得没有耐心的人成不了大师呀。

 
这里采用的是原书版本，数量55个，有点多。除非有很多朋友可以送，不然我建议全部减半，大概能做28个左右，既能满足情人节需要，自己吃也够，再送一些给亲密的朋友。因为新鲜做的巧克力还是尽快吃完比较好，所以不建议做太多。

焦糖松露巧克力：55个
1 cup (250 g) heavy cream 鲜奶油 （含脂多的较好）
10 oz. (285 g) bittersweet chocolate (around 70%) 细细切碎的苦甜巧克力（约含70%可可）
6 oz. (170 g) milk chocolate 细细切碎的牛奶巧克力
1 cup (200 g) sugar 糖
2 1/2 T (1 1/4 oz.; 40 g) butter at room temperature, cubed 室温放软的黄油
pinch of sea salt 少许海盐 （或者黄油用含盐的，此处可以不加盐）
dutch-processed cocoa powder (P.H uses Valrhona) 无糖可可粉


关于这些原料，巧克力的味道会直接影响到成品，所以越好的巧克力当然效果越好。无论是黑巧、牛奶巧克力还是可可粉，PH都用的是Valrhona牌子的。搞不好就是因为他，这个牌子的巧克力才被炒到这么贵。当然这确实是超好的巧克力，200克左右要6镑。。。而连盐这样普通的东西，PH也要用Fleur de sel 盐之花，是最好的海盐，自然和普通盐也不可同日而语。
 
做法：
- 小锅中中火煮沸鲜奶油，保持温度备用
- 用一可以容纳所有原料的大碗，装入切碎的巧克力备用。巧克力切得越碎越好。碗中不能含水含油。
- 制作焦糖：从备好的糖中取3汤匙，入厚底锅中火加热。糖刚要开始变色的时候，用木勺搅拌并加入另3汤匙糖。就这样不停搅拌=>加糖=>搅拌=>加糖，直到所有糖加完，焦糖变成深琥珀色。转小火，持续一边搅拌一边加入黄油和盐。完全混合后，缓慢而持续地一边搅拌一边注入热的鲜奶油，继续搅拌至混合物光滑无凝块。
- 熄火。将三分之一焦糖慢慢注入巧克力的中心，从中间轻柔地划圈搅拌，圆圈越划越大直至巧克力和焦糖完全融合。再倒入剩下的焦糖的二分之一，同样方法搅拌。照此一直到所有焦糖都加入，巧克力甘那许光滑柔顺。不可用力搅拌，以免出泡。
- 甘那许做好后放凉，蒙上保鲜膜，入冰箱冷藏至少4小时。
- 塑形：准备一个铺了烤盘纸或者烘焙硅胶垫的烤盘，另准备一个碗，碗中盛入适量可可粉准备包裹甘那许。手掌上先拍上少许可可粉，用挖球勺挖取适量甘那许，于手掌中稍微揉圆。我个人偏好truffles就是不怎么齐整的那种质朴可爱的样子，所以不需要揉得太圆。揉好的巧克力球丢入可可粉碗中均匀裹上一层可可粉，再轻轻在两个手掌中互相抛一下，抖掉多余的可可粉，正宗法式松露巧克力球就做好啦。
 
注意不要揉得太久，以免甘那许化掉了。做好的松露巧克力最好趁新鲜吃掉，也可以冰箱保存，但吃之前要提前拿出来回到室温。巧克力在室温下才是最佳食用状态哦。
 
外层如果不裹可可粉，还有很多种东西可选：椰子碎、榛果碎、硬壳巧克力、心形小糖片。。。就看你喜欢如何装饰你的truffles了。而我，就喜欢它最原始的味道哦:)