Chocolate Ganache Truffles

I made some chocolate ganache with the intention of using it to sandwich together the peanut butter cookie sandwiches, but I ended up allowing the ganache to cool too much. It was much too firm to use as a sandwich cookie filling, so I ended up not using it. I didn’t want it to go to waste, but I wasn’t sure what I would do with the ganache. I usually use chocolate ganache to cover a cake, but I wanted to try something a little different.

I went to the cooking board on my chat list and asked for suggestions on what I should do with left over chocolate ganache. The most common response was that I should just eat it with a spoon! While that would be good, I didn’t think I could eat an entire batch of ganache. One person suggested making truffles with the ganache. I’ve not made candy, so I thought that would be different. There are several variations of ganache truffles, and you can add any flavoring that you would like: extracts, liqueurs, and spices, whatever you want.

A couple of years ago my husband bought me cinnamon truffles for Valentine’s Day, so I tried to replicate those. I didn’t have cinnamon oil, which would have had a more pronounced flavor. I didn’t know how much cinnamon to add, so I added ½ teaspoon. When I tasted it I thought it would be enough, but when the truffles were completely cooled you could hardly taste the cinnamon. I would use a teaspoon next time and see if that helps. If you are using extract I would use a teaspoon, for liqueur I would use a tablespoon. Either way, just plain chocolate truffles are excellent.

I had made this ganache already, and ended up reheating it to add the cinnamon. This isn’t the best idea, but it worked. When I reheated the ganache, some of the fats in the chocolate and the cream separated. The ganache also wasn’t as smooth and shiny as it was originally, but that made no difference when making the truffles. I just had to make sure I kept stirring the ganache as it cooled. These truffles are really great! They have a smooth, buttery texture and melt in your mouth. I preferred the truffles rolled in powdered sugar, but rolling the truffles in cocoa is traditional.

3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream and the butter to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and then stir in the cinnamon. Refrigerate the ganache until it is firm enough to scoop (about 90 minutes).

To make the truffles, using a melon baller or a small cookie scoop, shape the ganache into balls. Roll the balls in cocoa powder or powdered sugar. Refrigerate until completely firm. Store the truffles in the refrigerator.

Ganache recipe from Annie’s Eats, who found the recipe on Confections of a Foodie Bride