Chocolate Raspberry Chambord Truffles For Your Valentine Food

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a saucepan bring to the cream just to a boil over moderate heat and remove from heat.
• Add chocolate, stirring, until smooth.
• Let cool slightly and add butter, bit by bit, stirring until smooth.
• Stir in jam, Chambord and a pinch of salt and transfer to a bowl.
• Chill, covered, for 4 hours, or until firm.
• Form mixture by heaping teaspoons into balls and roll in cocoa powder.
• Chill on a baking sheet lined with wax paper for 1 hour, or until firm.
• Keep in an airtight container, chilled, for up to 2 weeks.

RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Melt 8 ounces of chocolate.
• Heat the butter and cream until the butter is melted and small bubbles form.
• Pour into a small bowl and stir in the chocolate.
• Whisk in the jam and lemon juice.
• cover and refrigerate 60-90 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Spoon the mixture into mounds (about 2 teaspoons each).
• Refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm.
• Use the cornstarch to dust your hands, and roll the mixture into balls.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Remove centers from the refrigerator to warm to room temperature before the next steps.
• Melt 1 1/2 pounds of chopped chocolate and temper as follows.
• If the chocolate is dull, grainy, or blemished, heat to at least 115 degrees.
• When the chocolate is nearly melted, stir to complete the melt.
• Let the chocolate cool to 100 degrees.
• Look at the chunk of solid chocolate- it should be smooth, dark, and glossy, without dullness or streaking.
• Submerge the 6 ounces of solid chocolate in the melted chocolate and stir until the chocolate cools to 90 degrees.
• What this process does is isomerize the chocolate as it cools, so that the cooled shells will stay glossy and smooth, even in the refrigerator.
• If the solid chunk is dull, streaky, or grained, it will have the opposite effect.
• The taste will be the same, but tempering the chocolate makes the truffles much more attractive.
• When the chocolate has cooled to 90 degrees, remove the chunk and save it for the next time you temper chocolate.
• Smear a thin sample of the melted chocolate on wax paper and refrigerate for 2 minutes.
• The smear should cool glossy and smooth, and should break with a snap.
• Dip each truffle in chocolate; two forks seem to work the best for this (although I'd be interested in hearing anyone else's idea).
• Top the truffles with cocoa or nuts if desired; if you plan to do this, do each truffle as you dip them, because they solidify fairly quickly.
• Refrigerate until set.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHAMBORD TRUFFLES FOR YOUR VALENTINE!

Steps:

• In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, butter, and raspberry jam to a simmer, stirring occasionally until butter and jam are melted.
• Remove from heat; stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth.
• Stir in the liqueur, mixing well.
• Transfer to a bowl and chill covered, for 4 hours or until firm.
• Working quickly roll chocolate mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls, placing them on a parchment paper lined cookie tray as you go.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.
• Roll chocolate balls in cocoa powder, place in mini paper cups.
• Store in an airtight container, with parchment between the layers.
• Keep chilled until ready to serve, for up to 2 weeks.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLES WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• Pass the berries through a food mill fitted with a fine disk or force them through a through a fine sieve, mashing with a wooden spoon, into a medium bowl. You'll have about 1/2 cup raspberry puree; set it aside and discard the contents of the strainer.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cream, just until boiling.
• Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate; whisk to blend.
• Stir in the raspberry puree and the salt.
• Refrigerate the mixture until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
• Pour the cocoa powder onto a plate.
• With a melon-baller or spoon, scoop the chocolate-raspberry mixture and shape it into 1-inch balls.
• If the truffles are very soft, put them on a baking sheet and refrigerate briefly to firm.
• Roll the shaped truffles in the cocoa, coating them thoroughly.
• If sealed and refrigerated, these truffles will keep for about 1 week.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Line a tray with wax paper.
• Bring cream just to a simmer in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat, then add chocolate and stir gently with a heatproof rubber spatula until ganache is smooth. Stir in framboise.
• Pat raspberries dry if necessary. Add 6 to 8 raspberries to ganache and gently fold in to coat using rubber spatula. Remove each chocolate-covered raspberry with 2 forks, shifting it from one fork to the other to let excess ganache drip off, then transfer to tray. Coat remaining raspberries in same manner, working in batches of 6 to 8.
• Chill truffles on tray until firm, at least 1 hour, then loosen from wax paper.
• Put cocoa in a sealable bag and add all of truffles. Seal bag, leaving some air in, and shake to coat. Empty bag into a shallow bowl. Transfer coated truffles to a platter with your fingers, shaking off excess cocoa. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In heavy gauge saucepan, combine Morsels, heavy cream, and butter.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.
• Stir in raspberry jam.
• Cover with plastic wrap; freeze 20 minutes.
• Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto foil-lined cookie sheet.
• Freeze 15 minutes.
• Roll into balls; freeze until firm.
• Coatings:.
• Over hot[not boiling] water melt White baking bars or milk chocolate morsels and shortening, stirring until smooth.
• Drop frozen truffles one at a time, into melted coating; stir quickly to coat, then remove with fork, shaking of excess.
• Or coat with Nestle cocoa or confectioners sugar.
• Place on cookie sheet; chill until set.
• Store refrigerated.