These creamy beauties celebrate the rustic uniqueness of Mexican chocolate. Though the flavor is quite different, these confections resemble the old-fashioned truffles made by French home cooks long before the likes of Godiva and other fancy chocolatiers created truffles with a crisp chocolate shell. These are easy–and I think more fun to eat.
This recipe starts by making a straight-forward ganache of chocolate melted into cream. Feel free to add other flavors to the warm ganache, maybe a little tequila or mezcal, some cinnamon or allspice or chile. You might even like a drop of almond or coffee or orange flavoring (or maybe all 3!)
At our restaurant Xoco, we bring in fully fermented cacao beans from Tabasco. We roast, winnow and grind them, then use that robust base, blended with organic sugar, to create the perfect hot chocolate mix. That’s my number 1 choice for making these truffles, but you’ll have to drop by the restaurant to get it, or order online. Taza brand Mexican chocolate, which works beautifully here, too, is widely available, well made and packed with chocolate flavor. Unfortunately, the ubiquitous Abuelita and Ibarra brands of Mexican chocolate don’t actually contain enough chocolate for making truffles.
If using Taza brand chocolate, roughly chop 8 ounces, then pulse it in a food processor until finely chopped, and continue on with the recipe, using 1 cup of cream instead of the ¾ cup called for below. If you’re coating the truffles in more chocolate, you’ll need another 4 ounces of the finely chopped Taza for the exterior.
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 package (8 ounces) Xoco hot chocolate mix
- Flavorful outside coating options: about 4 ounces more Xoco hot chocolate mix, or multi-color sprinkles, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, candied spicy peanuts, Tajin, freeze-dried strawberry/raspberry powder, sky’s the limit.
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the ganache. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Whisk in the Xoco hot chocolate mix. Simmer, whisking constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture looks glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Cool and Shape. Scrape the ganache into a bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to firm. Using a spoon or small scoop (the one that holds about 2 teaspoons and is sold as #100), scoop the ganache into 24 portions onto a plastic wrap-lined baking sheet. Using your hands (I wear latex gloves to keep my hands from melting the ganache too much), roll each scoop into a ball. At any stage, if the ganache gets too soft to handle, refrigerate the truffles for a few minutes to firm.
Coat the truffles. Put your chosen coating into a small, wide dish. One at a time, roll the truffles in your chosen coating. Store covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
