White Chocolate Coconut Ganache Truffles Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Place chocolate, butter and cream in a heatproof bowl. Stir to coat.
• Heat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Leave to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
• Once the ganache has become firm, use a cookie scoop to spoon out roughly one level tablespoon of ganache per truffle. Roll smooth using your hands.
• Drop the truffles in the coconut and roll around, pressing the coconut onto the truffle using your hands, before setting on a plate. Continue with remaining truffles. Store in the fridge.

WHITE CHOCOLATE COCONUT TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, heat chocolate, stirring, until half is melted. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, in saucepan, heat cream with butter just until butter melts and bubbles form around edge of pan. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and coconut extract. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Using melon baller or teaspoon, drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto 2 waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Gently roll each to round off completely. Freeze until hard, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Cover and freeze for up to 1 day.).
• Coating: Toast coconut on baking sheet in 375°F (190°C) oven, stirring twice, until light golden, 10 minutes. Let cool.
• In heatproof bowl set over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt half of the chocolate, stirring. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Remove 1 pan of the truffles from freezer; using 2 forks, dip each into chocolate, tapping forks on edge of bowl to remove excess. Roll in coconut. Return to waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until coating is hardened, 2 hours.
• In clean bowl, repeat with remaining chocolate, truffles and coconut. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container; refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.) Place in paper candy cups.
• Tip: If all of the chocolate does not melt after hot cream mixture has been added, place bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water and whisk until smooth.

GANACHE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Shave 1 bar of 72% Green & Black 's and 1 bar 100% unsweetened Ghiradelli. It should make about 2 cups total. Use a serrated knife. The smaller the bits the better. Really brand doesn't matter as long as it is GOOD chocolate. The better the chocolate, the better the texture of ganache.
• Normally, I use 2 full cups cream and no sweetener. If you add in moisture with liquor or honey or a flavored syrup, you have to reduce the cream accordingly. You want the total VOLUME of the liquid to chocolate to be about even. So if you get 2 cups of chocolate after shaving it down, you will need 2 cups of liquid. Heavy cream and flavored syrup both included.
• For Christmas, I divided the chocolate in half and adding a 1/2 cup of liquer to each. Because the mint Bailey's is a chocolate mint, I added some mint extract to increase the mint flavor a bit. With the kahlua, I added a couple tablespoons of espresso ground beans. If you are separating this into several flavors, divide the chocolate before cutting it, it's easier when you use 2 types of chocolate.
• Shave the chocolate into a glass measuring cup. This makes it really easy to add the cream straight into it and, if the chocolate cools too fast, you can place the measuring cup right into the pot of hot water (see next step) and finish mixing.
• Bring heavy cream to a low boil (or high simmer?), using a double boiler (I actually prefer a pot of water with a glass pyrex bowl nestled in it). Stir regularly. You want it just starting to boil.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate. If you are doing more than one flavor of chocolate, try to get the cream divided equally between the chocolates. I suggest leaving the dish of chocolate (or dishes) on the stove so they don't get cold. It blends best this way.
• Let sit for 1 minute and then slowly stir each until well blended. Then beat until it shines. Refrigerate until stiff enough to roll into balls (about 6 hours. I stir hourly). I found 2 teaspoons to be a good size for me.
• If you are going to dip these in chocolate, then once you form them, freeze for one hour. Otherwise, roll them in your topping as you form them into balls. Being warm from your hands helps them pick up the coating.
• If you are rolling in topping:.
• Grind your topping in a food processor or blender. I used my coffee grinder for the cacao nibs. Pour onto a plate and spread out evenly.
• As you roll the truffles into balls, roll them into the topping of choice immediately and set them on a waxed paper lined tray. Refrigerate until serving.
• If you are dipping in chocolate:.
• Using the double boiler, melt the chocolates. DO NOT OVERSTIR. Just let them melt and stir just enough to combine the chocolates. Overstirring leads to stiff chocolate that cannot be used for dipping.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. One at a time, drop the truffles into the chocolate, coat, and then place on the waxed paper. I found that chopsticks were the easier to do this with, as I could grip easily and let it drip off excess. I've read suggestions about stabbing with a fork, but that just didn't work for me.
• These will soften quickly. If they start slipping off the chopsticks or smush as you work with them, put them back in the freezer for a bit. I divided my truffles onto to trays so that one was always in the freezer and just swapped them as the ones out softened. I also put an ice bag on the tray with the truffles to help keep them cool while they were out.
• Once all the truffles are coated, let them get hard enough to move. Then you can nestle them all together on the same tray and drizzle them with white chocolate. Alternately, you can sprinkle them with cocoa powder or ground cacao nibs while still soft.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate, cream and butter in a heatproof bowl over a small pan of just simmering water, or in the microwave in short blasts, stirring regularly. Stir in any flavourings you like (add them gradually and taste the mix, the flavour will be stronger when chilled). Transfer to a small baking dish or shallow container and chill until set, about 4 hrs or overnight.
• Using a large melon baller or a heaped teaspoon, scoop truffles from the set mixture, or using clean hands briefly roll between your palms, then transfer to a lined baking tray. Chill in the freezer for 30 mins to firm up.
• To decorate, melt the chocolate the same way as in step 1, leave to cool a little, then drop the chilled truffles into the chocolate and lift out with a fork. Put back on a lined baking tray and sprinkle over any toppings, if using, and chill again in the fridge for 1-2 hrs, or freeze for 30 mins if you're in a rush, until set. Store in a cool place or in the fridge until giving as a present or eating.