Chocoholics, gather around! Today I’m offering you some super easy little confectionery treats to flavor as you please, which are gluten-free: chocolate truffles. Thanks to their small size, chocolate truffles can be a delightful gift idea, a chic and elegant dessert for after meals, or a companion to your coffee and tea time. Making them is very simple; you won’t need any specific kitchen tools. Starting from the basic recipe, we can prepare different types, all delicious, enriching, and flavoring them according to your tastes.
If you like these treats, below you’ll find more ideas to create truffles that are increasingly delicious and diverse.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 18
- Cooking methods: Bain-marie
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz 70% dark chocolate
- 3.5 oz soft butter (also lactose-free)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp milk (also lactose-free)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/8 cup granulated sugar (or 1.5 tbsp of wildflower honey)
- to taste flavorings (vanilla, coffee, liqueur, nuts, coconut, etc.)
- 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts (or almonds)
- as needed unsweetened cocoa powder (for coating the truffles)
Steps
1) Chop the hazelnuts (or almonds) and set aside. Melt the chocolate and soft butter in a bain-marie, in a small pot, on the smallest burner at the lowest flame.
2) Once melted, add one at a time, stirring continuously: the sifted unsweetened cocoa, the sugar (or honey), the flavorings we like most, the chopped hazelnuts, and lastly, the lightly beaten yolk in the milk. Stir everything well for about a minute, until obtaining a smooth, homogeneous, and compact mixture.
3) Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly without removing the pot from the bain-marie. After about 30 minutes, remove the pot from the bain-marie and place it in a cool place or in the fridge for about 3 hours (also depends on external temperature) until the mixture has firmed up enough for us to form the truffles.
4) Once firmed, prepare a deep plate with some cocoa powder to roll the truffles in, and a tray with small paper cups to place the truffles in.
5) Using a teaspoon, scoop a bit of the mixture and, with your hands, form balls that you will roll in the cocoa. Place the truffles in the paper cups and continue until the chocolate mixture is used up. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rest in a cool place until ready to serve. If kept in the fridge, I recommend taking them out about 15 minutes before serving.
Bon appetit
