- 1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon bitters (I used Pink House Alchemy Sarsaparilla Bitters)
- Confectioners' sugar and/or
- Cocoa powder and/or
- Pecans finely chopped in a food processor
- Chop chocolate very finely and place in large mixing bowl.
- Bring cream to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove from heat. Wait 20 seconds and pour through a mesh, over the chopped chocolate.
- With a whisk, blend the chocolate and cream until smooth.
- Whisk in coffee and bitters. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
- Scoop teaspoon-sized portions onto a baking tray lined with a Silpat or parchment. Refrigerate the scooped portions for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Remove from the fridge and roll each portion in your hands to create a ball. (They won't be perfect spheres, don't fret!)
- Roll each ball in confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, or finely chopped nuts.
- Store truffles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 40-60 truffles, depending on size.
Creative Notes:
This is a messy process and you will get chocolate all over your hands! Which also makes it fun. You might try working with disposable plastic gloves.
Good to roll up a couple of truffles at a time and coat them in coating of your choice while they are still sticky from the warmth of your hands.
Research reveals that anything above 60% cocoa is considered semi-sweet and anything above 70% cocoa content is considered bittersweet. This is helpful when selecting The Savory Pantry’s specialty chocolate bars that meet these criteria.
Choose all bittersweet or all semi-sweet, depending on taste preference.
A melon baller would work well for scooping the initial portions of chocolate that will later become truffles… the closer you can get them to round in the portioning, the easier your job will be when it comes time to roll them in your hands.
A Note from Amy: I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where humidity must be taken into consideration when making truffles and other recipes that require setting or cooling, as humidity prolongs the setting-up process. The light went off inspiring this recipe after trying the Prestat Truffles Keeley carries at The Savory Pantry, and wanting to try my hand at them. I’d heard bitters could be substituted when vanilla extract was called for. I received some bitters as part of a cocktail gift from Keeley when my husband and I were married last May and I was excited to branch out from using them in Old Fashioneds. I provide graphic design for The Savory Pantry, and maintain it’s Facebook and Pinterest pages.