Obtain 1 pound (455 g) of dark chocolate and 1 cup (235 mL) heavy whipping cream !

e "ure to "elect a chocolate that you en#oy the flavor of $ut the chocolate into piece" u"ing a large "errated knife (like a "turdy bread knife) $utting the chocolate into "trip" about 5 mm apart with the "errated knife will cau"e the chocolate to break into "mall piece" %iece" of chocolate will fall all over the place& "o ' like to place the cutting board in a "heet pan to catch the chocolate "hard" (fter breaking down the whole pound of chocolate& you "hould have a bunch of "imilarly "i)ed piece" *mall& uniformly "i)ed piece" will make melting the chocolate evenly ea"ier %our all the piece" into a medium heat proof bowl !ring the cup of heavy whipping cream #u"t to a boil (+hi" i" called "calding ) %our the "calded heavy cream onto the chocolate and allow it to "it for five minute" *tir the now melted chocolate with the cream $hocolate and "mall amount" of a,ueou" "olution" (li,uid" containing water) do not mi- well . the chocolate clump" up in what i" called "ei)ing /owever& when a "ub"tantial amount of li,uid i" added to the chocolate& we can make chocolate "yrup ( ganache i" "imply a "yrup of chocolate and cream that doe" not contain enough cream to be li,uid at room temperature Once thi" mi-ture cool"& it will form a hard ganache that can be molded into "hape" +he melted ganache "hould be "mooth in te-ture without lump" 'f not all the chocolate ha" melted& you can heat the ganache gently over a hot pot of water *tir until the chocolate melt" and the ganache i" "mooth 0ou can tran"fer the ganache into a "maller bowl to cool 1hen the ganache i" "olid& it may be ea"ier for you to "coop out when working with a "maller bowl Let the ganache cool down and chill for about an hour in the refrigerator to harden $old ganache i" harder to "coop& but ea"ier to form into a ball 2"ing a melon baller or "mall ice cream "coop ("uch a" a 345)& "coop out ball" of hard ganache and place on a cookie "heet lined with either parchment paper or a "ilicone baking mat (" the ganache get" warmer& it will have a tendency to "tick to the "cooping device 0ou might find it ea"ier to work with after rechilling the ganache& dipping the uten"il in ice water& or "imply u"ing your hand" to form rough "phere" (fter forming all the ball"& chill the pan in the refrigerator for fifteen minute" to allow the ganache to harden back up and "et into their "hape" *coop a little cocoa powder into a "mall bowl 2"e a pair of "poon" to pick up and roll each ganache ball in the cocoa powder to coat 'f you prefer a hard chocolate "hell& then you6ll need to melt and temper "ome chocolate (u"ually& a couple ounce" will be more than enough to coat the truffle") Once the

chocolate ha" been tempered& u"e a "patula to "pread "ome onto the palm of one hand %lace the ball of ganache into the layer of chocolate and rotate& coating the ball %lace the truffle on a "heet of parchment paper or "ilicone baking mat or other non"tick "urface for it to cool and "et 7epeat the "preading of chocolate on the palm and coating for each truffle +he tempered chocolate will "hrink "lightly a" it cool" and clad it"elf to the ganache !ecau"e of thi" "hrinking action& if it cool" too rapidly& the "hell can crack& "o don6t immediately chill them in the refrigerator . allow the truffle" to "et in a cool room +he ganache "hould al"o be allowed to warm up a bit before you coat them (fter the chocolate ha" hardened& chill for 15 minute" in the refrigerator and then remove and "tore at room temperature +he chocolate coated truffle" "hould not be allowed to touch each other (touching the truffle" together can mar the hard "urface of the truffle") . "o divide them with "mall paper cup" or paper muffin liner" +he cocoa du"ted truffle" can be packed together without harm +he"e truffle" can be "tored at cool room temperature in an airtight container for at lea"t a month . but good luck keeping them from being eaten for that long8