Truffles in an HOUR. No excuses...

truffles should be considered a luxury item...

RIGHT ?

not anymore
not in this house.
i whipped these up in about an hour.

now i'm in big trouble !
we have a permanent container of truffles in the fridge.

cute little truffle blocks...

who says truffles need to be round ?

they might look like a simple square of chocolate, but it's actually smooth creamy dark chocolate ganache flavored with a hint of cinnamon, a punch of espresso and a warm smoky kick from adobo and chipotle.

NOTE...these flavors are my signature "go-to".  everybody LOVES these.  BUT this recipe will work with many flavor combinations.  i will be experimenting more with the "truffles in an hour" so stay tuned for more flavors and shapes.

Dark Chocolate Truffles in about an HOUR...
i have done this recipe in an hour, but the first time might take an hour 20 minutes

dairy free with coconut milk, but can use heavy cream.

makes about 24 squares/rectangles

CHOCOLATE CHIPOTLE TRUFFLE SQUARES

9.7 oz Dark Chocolate, chopped very fine
Guittard 61% coverture discs work best for me)

3/4 tsp cinnamon (sprinkle over chocolate)

put this in a glass bowl and set aside.  put a kitchen towel around the bottom of the bowl to keep the chocolate nice and cozy when you are ready.

line a small square or rectangular pan, dish or  tupperware with heavy saran or aluminum foil.  i use an 8 x 5 inch plastic container.   if you lightly spray the container with oil the saran will  cling to the sides and  it makes removal much easier.

IN A SMALL SAUCE PAN...

1 cup full fat coconut milk
NOTE...it's easier to heat a full cup of milk and measure out what you need.  that's why i put 1 cup in the recipe amount.

1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp of chipotle in adobo(canned)...use 1 minced small chipotle pepper with the seeds removed before chopping and adobo sauce to make the 1 1/2 TBSP.

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste.

1/2 tsp espresso powder

slowly bring the milk mixture to a soft boil.  remove from heat and strain out 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp.  add this straight away into and over the chocolate.

very gently use a fork or skewer to disperse the hot milk into the chocolate.  do not stir at this point.  just gently prod around to remove any pockets of chocolate that might be stuck together or the bottom of the bowl.  let sit for a minute.  now begin to stir from the middle.  the ganache should start to come together from the middle.  start to incorporate the whole thing.  do not stir vigorously "YET" (see note #2 below).  just gently stir around and through until combined.  when it looks like all the chocolate lumps have melted in...now you can break out the whisk.  the whisk is OK for truffles, not straight "pourable glossy ganache" that you would use on a cake.  do this by hand, not a stand mixer.  whisk until fully emulsified.  the ganache will thicken ever so slightly.  pour into prepared dish/tupperware.  tap the container on the counter a few times to even it all out.  put this in the fridge and it should be ready in about 25-35 minutes.

above is an example using tin foil in an 8" x  5" tupperware...i now prefer using heavy saran.  also, this looks grainy on top because i sprinkled this batch with flaked sea salt before it was almost set.

the whole block should lift out of the container.  remove the saran or aluminum and cut into squares or desired shape.  you might want to clean the knife between slices.  have a small bowl of cocoa powder and coat all sides.....DONE

these are room temperature stable, but should be stored in the refrigerator.

NOTE...do not fret if there are a few teeny tiny pieces of chocolate that did not melt.  you can strain these out (more to clean up) or leave them alone.  my chef friend Lauren, who studied chocolates, says it is better to have a few tiny lumps than risk breaking the ganache.

IMPORTANT NOTE #2...sometimes when i use coconut milk  with Valrhona or Scharffenberger, my ganache "breaks"...this means it is not absolutely smooth and glossy after it is combined and will result in a grainy truffle texture...you DO NOT want this.  i can now recognise it right away.  i believe this means the two fats did not make friends in the heating/melting process.  give it a little more whisking if you notice it before pouring.   if you don't notice it until after it has set, don't worry...they will no longer be "truffles in an hour", BUT......just cut block into small squares and reheat over a double boiler until melted...then whisk until fully emulsified and pour into another prepared lined dish.

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