These homemade dark chocolate truffles are gorgeously smooth and rich. Their firm texture gives way to a melty, silken, blissful chocolate experience as soon as you take a bite. Deceptively simple to make, truffles are great to make in bulk and make a beautiful little gift to drop off for your friends and family over the holidays.

The recipe is only 3 ingredients: dark chocolate, whipping cream, and butter.  All you have to do is melt them together, scoop, and roll. Easy peasy with a big, chocolatey payoff.

Did you know that a truffle is actually just a thick ganache? It’s the same recipe I use to frost brownies and pour over bundt cakes. The ratio of cream to chocolate is all that changes (less for truffles, more for frosting).

Because the components are few and we aren’t adding sugar or flavorings, the quality of the chocolate is key. I avoid chocolate chips in something like this where the chocolate really shines. I buy Western Family 72% Dark Chocolate bars by the handful and use them in my baking. They are perfect for truffles.

The truffle-making method I use is very simple to execute, the only really important thing to remember is that when working with chocolate, we must avoid overheating or it can break and turn grainy. I use my microwave on 50% power and check the chocolate after two minutes. I give it a good stir and then continue in thirty-second intervals until the chocolate is only 80-90% melted. It’ll finish melting completely with a good whisking. Note that when you start whisking the mixture, it’ll go through a curdled-looking phase. This is totally normal. Just keep whisking until it comes together smoothly.

Arguably the hardest part is waiting for the ganache to firm up to a scoopable texture, about an hour (it depends on how deep your bowl – a shallow one cools faster). Note that refrigerating warm chocolate can make it turn a little bit white on top. It’s called bloom and it happens when we take chocolate through dramatic temperature changes. Totally safe, and in this case, the rolling and coating will make it disappear (so don’t worry if it happens!).

I then use a small cookie scoop to make even-sized truffles but a soup spoon does the trick. You’ll get about 16 truffles. The recipe does double or triple (or more!) well, but I recommend switching to a double-boiler for larger batches so you can stir constantly and avoid the hot spots you get in the microwave.

After scooping equal-sized portions of the mixture, I prepare the topping.

Cocoa powder is a classic truffle coating but you can really go wild here. Finely-chopped pistachios are a beautiful green for the holidays, as is matcha powder. My kids love it when I roll them in chocolate cookie crumbs. Toasted coconut for the coco lovers is great, or pulverized candy canes for the mint lovers (I just sift them to get rid of the dustiest crumbs).

First, I roll the truffles between my palms to form balls. They are lumpy. This is part of the homemade appeal. Then I simply drop them into the bowl of cocoa powder one at a time and use a fork to toss them around until coated. I’m not going to lie, this part is very messy. You will have ganache hands and a cocoa-covered counter. This is a job the kids ADORE! If you’ve got ‘em, I suggest letting them get messy with you and take pictures of your chocolate-monster fingers. (Or… maybe ask someone else to take the pic, otherwise, you’ll have a chocolate-monster phone, too.)

To give as a gift, I tuck truffles into mini muffin cups and arrange them in little Christmas tins. They make a thoughtful and almost obscenely delicious surprise. If you are just making them gift yourself (no judgment from me), layer the truffles between sheets of waxed or parchment paper in an airtight container. They’re good at room temperature for 2-3 days, refrigerated for a week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

To truly appreciate the silky, groan-worthy chocolate truffle experience, bring them fully to room temperature before serving. They melt immediately with the warmth of the tongue.

Easy Dark Chocolate Truffles Recipe

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup whipping cream
• 8 oz/225 g Western Family 72% dark chocolate bars, chopped
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for topping

Directions

1. Place cream, chocolate, and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium power for 2 minutes. Stir and repeat for 30 second intervals (up to 1 minute more) until just a few lumps remain. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Chill until firm enough to scoop, an hour or more.
2. Place cocoa in a shallow bowl.
3. Scoop chocolate mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls and roll between palms to form balls. Roll in cocoa powder.
4. Layer truffles between sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze up to 3 months. Best served at room temperature.

Makes about 16 truffles.

-Author Jennifer Pallian @foodess

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