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Notes
- Use the best quality ingredients for best results�real chocolate, fresh cream (no canned milk or half-and-half; the recipe won�t work with these dairy products), and sweet (unsalted) butter.
- You can vary this recipe to suit just about any taste. If you prefer all dark chocolate, for instance, replace the milk chocolate chips with a second 12-ounce bag of semisweet chips or use two bags of bittersweet chips.
- For a more �grown-up� version, add 3 tablespoons (one 50 ml miniature bottle available at many liquor stores) of your favorite liqueur or flavored brandy along with the vanilla extract. The following flavors are especially good:
coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahl�a
amaretto
blackberry or raspberry brandy
- If you like add-ins, stir them into the ganache after the ganache has chilled for two hours to prevent the add-ins from sinking to the bottom of the bowl. Use 1� cups total of any of the following: nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans are excellent) shredded or flaked coconut mini chocolate chips raisins
- This variation got me a marriage proposal several years ago, although not from the man I eventually married. Stir 3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur into the ganache along with the vanilla extract. Add one tablespoon each of finely grated orange zest and finely grated, peeled fresh ginger (peel the ginger with a potato peeler). Grating is quick if you use a microplane. Whisk thoroughly before chilling. The fragrance alone of this ganache will send you to the moon.
- If you want to dip the truffles into melted chocolate, omit the cocoa powder or sweet ground chocolate. Dipping chocolate needs to be �tempered,� which is a process of carefully melting and cooling the chocolate before using it for dipping, so that the chocolate sets properly when it hardens. Tempering can be tricky and time-consuming, but if you want to try it, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company has clear directions on its Web site; see appendix B for the link.
- A final note about cleanup�if there are any scrapings of chocolate left in the bowl after you finish making your truffles (not likely, but just in case), throw that chocolate into the garbage, not down the drain. Putting chocolate into a drain is like pouring sand down there, and you may wind up with a nasty sink clog. After doing the dishes, run hot water into the drain for a few seconds, to make sure that the pipes are clear.
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