Chocolate Truffles

When my plans for chocolate truffles went awry a couple of weeks ago, Anand was quick to rub it in every other day. It was a let down for him that I didn't deliver, and I had a point to prove. So, I experimented again this week, and it thankfully turned out well. 

The point I was dying to prove is - good quality ingredients make a difference - the essential difference between good and bad. Last time, I used an un-branded bag of chocolate chips that was residing in the pantry. The resulting ganache never set. The reason - chocolate chips have emulsifiers and additives that interfere with the texture of ganache. And a random bag of chocolate chips is sure to have plenty of extra additives and cheaper chocolate substitutes, rendering the ganache even more substance-less. This time, I followed Ina Garten's recommendation. I used Lindt and Ghiradelli chocolate bars, and the ganache and the truffles came out beautifully. See Anand, my hand doesn't gravitate to the most expensive items on the shelf without good reason ;)

Here is the expert's recipe. 

There's only one basic formula for making good chocolate truffles. The chocolate bars (1 pound total) is melted in 1 cup of hot cream, and is flavored with vanilla, coffee, and other such essences of one's choice. The Ganache is allowed to set for an hour at room temperature. Then, the chocolate is scooped out in oddly shaped truffles and chilled. The chilled truffles are rolled to give a regular shape, and are then coated with cocoa powder, nuts, sugar, and other fun flavorings. 

I rolled my truffles in unsweetened cocoa powder, powdered mint chips, and powdered white-chocolate chips. 

They are extremely simple and fun chocolate ladoos!