Raspberry Chocolate Truffles Food

COGNAC-RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Put the heavy cream, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Put the chocolate in a heatsafe bowl, pour the hot cream mixture over it and let it sit until the chocolate is completely melted, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the chocolate-cream mixture with a whisk or rubber spatula until combined and smooth. Stir in the cognac, raspberry extract and vanilla extract, then whisk until the ganache is smooth and shiny. Transfer the ganache to a shallow container, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the cocoa powder in a shallow dish. Scoop tablespoons of the firm ganache, roll into balls and roll the balls in the cocoa powder. Transfer the truffles to the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Put 12 ounces of the chocolate in a bowl. Whisk together the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth. Whisk in butter until smooth and glossy. Add the raspberry liqueur and mix well.
• Pour the chocolate into a deep pan and chill. When the chocolate is firm, scoop out small truffle balls, using a melon baller or other small scoop. (Dip scoop in very hot water before each scoop, patting each time onto a towel to avoid getting water into the chocolate mixture.) Chill truffles slightly, and then perfect the circular shape by rolling quickly in palms of your hands. Store the truffles in the refrigerator until ready to finish.
• To finish the truffles: Melt the remaining 8 ounces of chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set the bowl aside and let cool slightly, stirring occasionally, until just cooler than body temperature.
• Put enough cocoa powder in a bowl to form a small pile. Wearing rubber gloves and working with 1 truffle at a time, rub some of the melted chocolate all over the truffles and roll quickly in your hands until smooth. Drop the truffles into the cocoa powder, roll to coat completely, and transfer to a platter. Store in a cool, dry place.

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.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the raspberries in a blender or food processor, and process them until they are liquid.
• Pour the raspberry puree into a small saucepan through a strainer or cheesecloth to remove the seeds.
• Add the powdered sugar to the raspberry puree and heat it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it is thick and syrupy and reduced by about half. Remove the puree from heat and set aside for now.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.
• Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, until bubbles start to form around the edges, but do not allow it to come to a full boil.
• Once simmering, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and allow it to sit for a minute or two to soften and melt the chocolate.
• Whisk the chocolate and cream together gently, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and homogenous. This is the ganache.
• Add the corn syrup and raspberry puree to the chocolate mixture, and whisk it all together.
• Cover the surface with the ganache with cling wrap, and refrigerate until it is thick enough to scoop, at least 2 hours.
• Cover a baking sheet with foil or waxed paper.
• Using a candy scoop or teaspoon, scoop the ganache into small balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Once all of the ganache is scooped, freeze the balls for 2 hours or until firm.
• Place the candy coating in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in one-minute increments until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating. Stir until the coating is completely smooth. Allow the coating to cool until it is barely warm. Do not let it start setting up, but let it cool down so that it does not melt the truffle fillings.
• Using dipping tools or a fork, dip a truffle into the chocolate. Bring it out of the chocolate and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl.
• Place the dipped truffle back onto the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining truffles and chocolate.
• Place the truffles in the refrigerator to set the candy coating for about 30 minutes. If desired, you can melt red candy coating (or tint white coating with red candy coloring) and drizzle a small amount over the truffles decoratively.

RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, combine butter, cream and chocolate chips. Cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in jam until combined. Transfer to a small freezer container; cover and freeze until mixture thickens and can be scooped. , Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes. Roll into balls; freeze until very firm. , Place a wire rack over a large sheet of waxed paper. In a microwave, melt candy coating and shortening; stir until smooth. Cool slightly; spoon over balls. Place on the prepared wire rack. Let stand for 15 minutes or until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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 TRUFFLE CAKE

Steps:

• Puree raspberries in a food processor.
• Press raspberry mixture through a wire mesh sieve, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out the juice; discard seeds.
• Bring juice and the 1-2 T sugar to a boil over high heat, then cook over medium heat, stirring often until the mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup.
• Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Butter an eight inch cake pan and line bottom with parchment or waxed paper.
• Heat the 1/3 cup sugar and the Chambord in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.
• Add butter and continue heating and stirring until butter melts.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate, stir until smooth and cool.
• (I heated the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave at 50% power for about four minutes, then stirred until smooth and then added the warm melted chocolate to the liquor/butter mixture-It seemed to make it a lot smoother and quicker).
• Whisk together the raspberry reduction,eggs, flour, and almond extract in a large bowl.
• Add chocolate mixture and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended.
• Pour into prepared cake pan.
• Place cake pan into a larger pan (I used the broiler pan from the oven) and add hot water to a depth of one inch.
• Bake at 325°F for 42 to 45 minutes.
• Cake will have risen and not be completely "set".
• Remove from water bath and cool cake completely on a wire rack.
• Cake will "collapse" as it cools down.
• Run a thin knife around pan to loosen cake.
• Invert cake onto a plate, remove the parchment or waxed paper, and invert again onto a serving plate.
• To serve, cut cake into small wedges and place on plates that have been drizzled with the chocolate syrup.
• Garnish with whipped cream and a few fresh raspberries and serve.
• If desired, cake can be made a day ahead of time.
• Cover and chill in refrigerator then let stand at room temperature for at least one hour before serving.

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.