Dec 29, 2008 2:40 pm US/Pacific
Flavors: Chocolate - 12/26/08
If you love chocolate, you'll be licking your chops as Liam meets up with of the Bay Area's premier chocolate-makers. Plus, how the iPhone will be used to make high-tech chocolate.
TCHO
Pier 17
San Francisco, CA 94111 USA
www.tcho.com
Charles Chocolates Factory Store & Chocolate Bar
6529 Hollis Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 652-4412 or 1-888-652-4412
www.charleschocolates.com
Recchiuti Chocolate
www.recchiuti.com
Force Noir Truffles
Excerpted from Chocolate Obsession: Confections to Treat and Savor,
by Michael Recchiuti and Fran Gage (2005, Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
Force Noir Ganache
The dominant taste in this ganache is the chocolate. Use your favorite dark chocolate with an intense flavor. The seeds from a Tahitian vanilla bean, along with the split bean, are heated in the cream and then steeped overnight in the refrigerator to draw out as much flavor as possible. The floral tones of the vanilla complement the richness of the chocolate. These truffles take a little longer to make, but the flavors are worth the wait!
Makes about 50 round truffles
½ cup (4 ounces) heavy whipping cream
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (4 ½ ounces by weight) invert sugar (stir before measuring)*
1 Tahitian vanilla bean, split horizontally**
12 ounces 61% to 70% chocolate, finely chopped***
3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces) unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, very soft (75ºF)
Unsweetened natural cocoa powder for rolling truffles
Making the ganache:
Step 1:
Stir in cream and invert sugar together in a medium saucepan. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds from the bean into the pan and then add the bean. Bring to a boil over medium heat, remove from the heat, and cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap. When the cream has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Step 2:
Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap.
Put the chocolate in a medium stainless-steel bowl and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts and registers 115ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Lift the bowl from the pot.
When the chocolate is almost at 115ºF, remove the cream from the refrigerator. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan and heat it to 115ºF, stirring occasionally.
Pour the chocolate and the cream into a 1-quart clear vessel. Blend with an immersion blender using a stirring motion and making sure you reach the bottom of the vessel. The ganache will thicken, become slightly less shiny, and develop a pudding-like consistency. Add the butter and incorporate it with the immersion blender.
Pour the ganache into the lined pan. Spread it as evenly as possible with a small offset spatula. Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature until it has set, 2 to 4 hours. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to roll truffles.
Making the Truffles
Lift the square of ganache from the pan, turn it over onto a work surface, and remove the plastic wrap. Turn the ganache square over and trim the edges. Cut the ganache into 1-inch squares with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry before each cut and wiped clean after each cut.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put about 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder in a bowl and dust your palms with cocoa powder. One at a time, pick up a square, roll it into a ball between your palms, and then drop it into the bowl of cocoa powder. After you have made about 6 truffles, shake the bowl to cover the rounds completely. Using a fork, transfer them to the lined pan. Continue rolling until you have used all the ganache.
Because the truffles are not covered with tempered chocolate, you need to refrigerate them. Transfer them to a bowl or plastic bag that contains enough cocoa powder to prevent them from sticking together. They will keep for up to 2 weeks. Remove them from the refrigerator and put them on a plate about 30 minutes before serving so they are at room temperature.
For a different look and taste, roll the rounds in finely chopped nuts, chopped seeds, or cocoa nibs instead of cocoa powder, or in sesame or cardamom nougat if you are serving them the same day.
*Invert sugar can be found at baking supply stores or online at the following retailers:
Kitchen Krafts
www.kitchenkrafts.com
800-776-0575
SugarCraft
www.sugarcraft.com
**Tahitian Vanilla Beans can be found at most gourmet or specialty food retailers. They can also be found online at:
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
www.nielsenmassey.com
800-525-7873
***61% - 70% chocolate can be found at most gourmet or specialty food retailers. Dark chocolates in the 62% to 65% range include Scharffern Berger and Guittard and in the 70% range include Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, and Callebaut.
You can also purchase online at:
Scharffen Berger
www.scharffenberger.com
800-930-4528
Gourmail
www.gourmail.com
800-366-5900
Milkshake Werks
256 Redwood Shores Parkway
Redwood City, CA 94065
(650) 654-3131
Shokolaat
516 University Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 289-0719
www.shokolaat.com
Amore Chocolate pizza Company
P.O. Box 640
Eudora, KS 66025
(785) 542-3060 (between 9am and 4pm CST)
www.gourmetchocolatepizza.com
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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