Spicy Chocolate Truffles Food

SPICY BRAZILIAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Coat a large shallow pan with some of the butter. Bring the condensed milk, 1 tablespoon butter, the cocoa powder, cinnamon and cayenne, if using, to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and has the consistency of very thick frosting, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour the mixture into the greased pan; let cool completely and become firm, about 1 hour. (You can refrigerate it to speed up the process).
• Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Grease your hands with butter and shape the cooled truffle mixture into 1- to 2-inch balls and place on the wax paper.
• For the decorations: You can use melted or tempered chocolate to coat the truffles before decorating. Tempering is the key to shiny, smooth-looking chocolate that remains solid at room temperature.
• To melt the chocolate without tempering, put the pieces in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pot of simmering water and stir until melted.
• To temper the chocolate, melt about 2/3 of the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler or heatproof bowl that fits snugly over, not in, a saucepan of water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly as the chocolate melts. Once the chocolate reaches 115 degrees F. on a candy thermometer, remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the double boiler and stir in the remaining chocolate to reduce the temperature. Keep stirring until the temperature reaches 85 degrees F., then pick out any chunks of unmelted chocolate. Put the chocolate back over the simmering water and stir until the temperature reaches 90 degrees. Keep the chocolate at 90 degrees F. while you decorate the truffles.
• Decorate each truffle ball as described below and return to the wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Transfer to mini cupcake liners or paper candy cups and serve.

SPICED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Finely chop 10 ounces chocolate; place in a small bowl. In a small heavy saucepan, combine cream, pumpkin and spices; heat just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes., Stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, at least 4 hours., Finely grate remaining chocolate; place in a small microwave-safe bowl. With hands dusted lightly with baking cocoa, shape chocolate mixture into 1-in. balls; roll in grated chocolate. (Mixture will be soft and truffles may flatten slightly upon standing.) , If desired, melt unused grated chocolate in a microwave and use to attach eyeballs. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

SPICY MAYAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Remove 12 ounces of the chocolate and place it in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium-sized saucepan, scald the cream with the vanilla. Tiny bubbles will appear on the edges of the pan, and it should be very hot, but not boiling.
• Pour the hot cream over the 12-ounces of chocolate and let stand for 4 minutes. Use a spoon to stir to blend and set aside. This mixture is called ganache. Gently stir in the cayenne and cinnamon. Let it come to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until it becomes completely firm, at least 6 hours.
• Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and, in a double boiler, melt the remaining 12-ounces of chocolate.
• Remove the firm ganache from the refrigerator and use a 1-inch cookie scoop to scoop out about 5 dozen truffles, placing them on one of the parchment-covered baking sheets. Now place the shaped truffles in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Using a fork, carefully dip each truffle into the melted chocolate to coat it evenly and place them on the other parchment covered baking sheet. You can use a small knife to help you remove the covered truffle from the fork. The truffles will set at room temperature. If desired, sprinkle them with red sugar when they are about halfway set.
• Once set, you can put the truffles in paper truffle cups.

SPICY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Combine the chocolate, cream, butter, and coffee in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 40 to 60 minutes, until the chocolate melts. Stir once or twice during the cooking time, just to make sure that the chocolate does not stick to the bottom or sides of the crock. Whisk the mixture vigorously when it is nearly melted.
• Pour the melted chocolate onto a plate or into a glass bowl and place in the refrigerator for between 1/2 and 1 hour, until it is hard enough to form into small balls.
• Combine the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a coffee mill or using a mortar and pestle and grind them to a coarse powder. Transfer to a small bowl, add the cocoa powder, and mix thoroughly.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a spoon or mini ice cream scoop, scoop out spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture and roll with your hands into balls the size of walnuts. (This is a great job for kids. Just have plenty of paper towels on hand!) Roll the balls in the cocoa mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
• Place the truffles in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Sprinkle the truffles with the confectioners' sugar and allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.