Fresh or frozen fruit and cream mixed with dark chocolate creates very aromatic raspberry truffles in this recipe. These little jewels are so easy to roll and dip into chocolate. Top them with freeze-dried raspberries to steal the show. And by swapping cream with coconut cream you can end up with a vegan version!
Fresh or frozen fruit and cream mixed with dark chocolate creates very aromatic raspberry truffles in this recipe.These little jewels are so easy to roll and dip into chocolate. Top them with freeze-dried raspberries to steal the show. And by swapping cream with coconut cream you can end up with a vegan version!
In a 1-Qt saucepan cook the raspberries for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a silicon seamless spatula.
In a 2-Qt saucepan, bring the cream to the boil. Turn the heat off. Add hot berries to cream. Blend the two together with the spatula. Immediately pour the chocolate chips into the berry-cream mixture. Don’t stir. Cover and let it stand 5 minutes.
Add the vodka or liquor.
Next add butter. Stir with the spatula, then blend with an immersion blender (carefully avoiding air getting into the ganache.)
Pour mixture into a plastic or glass bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap, touching the chocolate surface to prevent chocolate from air. Let it firm in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. (You can keep the ganache in the fridge or freezer, but be sure that it gets warmed up on room temperature a bit , do it can be rolled into balls.)
When the ganache is ready, roll the ganache into marble sized balls. Place the balls on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
Dip each ball with a fork or dipping tool into the previously tempered* chocolate on 89.6 - 90.0 F ( around 32 C). You will need a thermometer.
After dipping, shake off the extra chocolate, then place the truffle on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Swirl tops as you put each piece down.
Decorate each truffle with crumbled freeze dried raspberries.
Notes
*Tempering the dipping chocolate:
There is an excellent video on home-based chocolate tempering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGlMoNs4qlM. It shows that you can melt and temper your chocolate with the microwave, over a pot of simmering water, or using tempered coco butter.
I explain the most commonly available method: in a medium plastic bowl melt the extra 1.7 lbs chocolate in the microwave in short segments, according the video: watch the microwave tempering (less than a minute from 4:39 for 5:24 minutes on this video).
Once the chocolate is all melted, keep it on around 89.6 – 90.0 F, not above! If the temperature is cooler, the chocolate gets too viscous for dipping, and you might need to reheat it in 5 seconds segments, while constantly stirring and checking the temperature.
Former PhD chemist turned to chocolatier. Now in New Hampshire USA starting a food business in my 3rd country, after NZ and AU. I’m very committed to sustainability, defined as buying locally, shunning preservatives & artificial ingredients, and using only natural fruits and herbs and highest cocoa content possible for chocolates
