How To Make Chocolate Truffles Out Of Leftover Cake

Fancy having home made truffles that are freshly made? You can make them yourself. Easily.

There are many ways to make your own chocolate truffles.

For example, if you have left over cake, you can turn that old cake into chocolate truffles.

This is a fun activity for the kids, to keep them out of mischief. Make sure they wash their hands thoroughly before they start.

You will need.

Leftover cake.A large bar of your favourite chocolate.Chopped nuts.

Kids Kitchen Activities - Making Chocolate Truffles

Crush up the cake into crumbs in a bowl. (The kids can do this)Line a tray with baking paper.Spread chopped nuts on the baking paper.Melt chocolate. (You do this. Melt the chocolate on the high setting for 1 second in a microwave oven)Pour the melted chocolate into the cake crumbsStir until thoroughly mixed. (Kids can do the mixing) Wash and dry hands thoroughly. (Everyone, please do this if you don't want to get stomach upset.)Shape the cake crumb chocolate mix into balls. (I'd bet this would be the kids' favourite activity)Roll these balls in chopped nuts. (Let the kids do this too.)Let the truffle balls set on the lined tray.Serve to anyone who loves chocolate truffles.

You can make variations to this recipe with flavourings and chocolate syrup. Here's another version of cake chocolate truffles.

How to make flavoured chocolate truffles

Here's another version, using a melon scoop instead of your hands to form the truffle balls.

Leftover cakeA large bar of your favourite chocolate.Peppermint flavouring or vanilla essence.Rainbow sprinkles.Crush up the cake into crumbs in a bowl.Line a tray with baking paper.Melt chocolate. Melt the chocolate on the high setting for 1 second in a microwave oven. Stir to make sure it is fully melted. If it is still solid, microwave it for another 1 second on high setting.Pour the melted chocolate into the cake crumbsAdd 1 teaspoon of peppermint essence or vanilla essence, whichever flavour you prefer.Stir until thoroughly mixed. (Kids can do the mixing) Scoop up a ball of truffle mix.Use a teaspoon to ease that ball out of the melon scoop and onto the tray.Sprinkle rainbow sprinkles over the truffle balls.Let the truffle balls set on the lined tray.Serve to anyone who loves chocolate truffles.

If you like chocolates, do check out these chocolate recipes complete with videos on how to make these yummy chocolate candies.

Do check out the author's website http://chocolates4.me/ that is dedicated to all chocolate lovers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janice_Wee

Original article

Decadent Nutella Truffles

Ahh, the weekend - it's time to indulge a bit! If I'm going to indulge I might as well do it right and the only way to do that is with chocolate. Lots of it. Even better if you add nutella into the equation. So, I decided to make these delicious home-made nutella truffles. They don't really take too long, but taste like you slaved over them for hours. It's a great way to impress family and friends and get on their good side!

If you've never made truffles, you might think that they are hard to make at home. Not at all - it's probably the easiest dessert to make - no cooking and no baking. I made these truffles three ways - fruit and nut, coconut and gingerbread. You can have them plain too, but I always like to add a twist to things.

The fruit and nut nutella truffle is made with raisins and pistachios and reminds me of my favorite candy bar - Cadbury's Fruit and Nut! My mouth is watering just writing about it. The coconut nutella truffles have moist shreds of coconut which go surprisingly well with the hazelnut flavour of nutella. The third truffle contains crushed gingerbread snaps for an unusual flavour. I think ginger (sweetened of course) tastes amazing with chocolate. Have you ever tried candied ginger chocolate? It's to die for!

Ingredients

makes 40-50 truffles

Pantry

350 g baker's dark chocolate

400 g Nutella

1/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachio nuts

1/4 raisins

1/3 cup gingerbread crumbs

1/3 cup sweetened desiccated coconut

Produce/Fridge

1 cup whipping cream

Step 1: Coarsely chop all the baker's chocolate.

Step 2: Put a quarter of the chopped chocolate aside for later. Take the remaining chocolate and place in a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Heat the whipping cream on medium-low heat in a small pot until it simmers and bubbles. Tip: Keep stirring the cream to ensure it doesn't burn.

Step 4: Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in the mixing bowl and stir well until smooth. Add the nutella and fold in and continue to mix for 4-5 minutes. You will notice the texture change to a whipped consistency.

Step 5: Cool the mixture in the fridge for one hour.

Step 6: In the meanwhile, prep the remaining ingredients.

For the fruit and nut truffle, measure and lay out the raisins and pistachios.

For the gingerbread truffles, pulverize some store-bought gingerbread snaps in a food processor. I used these lovely gingerbread hearts from Sasha Bakery. They are gingery and sweet, but not too sweet.

For the coconut truffle, measure and lay out the desiccated coconut.

Step 7: After the chocolate mixture has cooled for an hour, divide it equally into three bowls.

Fruit and nut truffle: Add all the raisins and half the chopped nuts to one of the bowls and mix well.

Coconut truffle: Add two-thirds of the coconut to the second bowl and mix well.

Gingerbread truffle: Add two thirds of the crumbs to the third bowl and mix well.

Step 8: Cool the three bowls in the fridge for one hour.

Step 9: After an hour, melt the reserved chocolate from Step 2. Note: Never melt chocolate on direct heat. I used a bowl on top of a hot, not simmering pot of water. For more details: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/questions-about-cooking-with-chocolate2.htm

Let the melted chocolate cool for two minutes.

Step 10: Take the three bowls out of the fridge and begin assembling the truffles.

Fruit and nut truffle: Take a coin-sized amount of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a small ball. Dip the ball into the melted chocolate and sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. Place the truffles on a lined baking tray.

Coconut truffle: Take a coin-sized amount of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a small ball. Roll the ball in the remaining desiccated coconut to coat well. Place the truffles on a lined baking tray.

Gingerbread truffle: Take a coin-sized amount of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a small ball. Dip the ball into the melted chocolate and sprinkle some gingerbread crumbs on top. Place the truffles on a lined baking tray.

Step 11: Cool the truffles in the fridge for two hours. Serve at room temperature. Dig in!

Original article

The History of Truffles

The chocolate truffle today is at the top of all the collections of self-indulging delicacies and has remained a superior chocolate candy in France, Italy, Switzerland, North America, and the rest of Western Europe for more than a century. Thanks to the invention of the cocoa press and the ideas of a few prestigious chocolatiers, the history of truffles remains a very rich one. By definition, a truffle is not just a truffle unless it contains Ganache inside, which is a paste of dark chocolate and heavy cream.

Chocolate started out as a beverage for the Aztecs during the Maya civilization dating all the way back to 400 AD. It ws introduced and spread all over Europe after some Kekchi Maya nobles were escorted by Dominican Friars to Spain in 1544 to visit Prince Phillip. The Kekchi gifted him with many gifts including their chocolate beverage which they called "Chocolatl". Since then large shipments into Europe of cocoa beans allowed Royals to enjoy Chocolatl and different chocolate beverages as an elite drink.

Eating chocolate alone was not possible due to its very bitter taste. When the Cocoa Press was invented in 1828, the process of separating the cocoa solids from the cocoa butter in the beans gave chocolatiers the ability to add sweeteners and other ingredients and shape them into candy. The first edible chocolate bar was introduced in 1847 by Fry Chocolate Factory in Bristol, England. In 1879 Swiss chocolatiers Henri Nestle and Daniel Peter added two ingredients to the chocolate: powdered milk and sugar, making the now famous milk chocolate. Continued experimentation of adding other ingredients back in France and Switzerland lead to the mixture of heavy cream and cocoa powder, which was named Ganache. Check out what the cocoa press looks like here.

One christmas day in 1895, French Patissier Louis Dufour in Chambery, France had run out of ideas for his christmas confections. Instead of going to suppliers to get more sweets, he put together the Ganache mixture, rolled it into a ball, dipped it once in melted chocolate and then into cocoa powder. It looked just like the rough round black mushroom truffles grown in the deep forests of France, so these chocolate ganache balls were named right after the mushrooms, Truffles.

The recipe was brought back to London by Antoine Dufour and introduced in his new Prestat Chocolate shop in 1902 in order to take advantage of its growing popularity in England. He named the cocoa powdered truffle the "Napoleon III", after the 19th century Emperor that spent many periods in exile with his loyal chef. The shop made chocolates for Queen Elizabeth II and many other future royals including Princess Diana.

Chocolate truffles were considered an exquisite dish to be enjoyed by the royal wealth due to the high costs of imported cocoa beans. Today it is still considered a luxury, however it is rejoiced worldwide and in different varieties. Decorated in powdered sugar, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut are just a few of the kinds of coatings truffles are dipped in and relished.

Ana Gonzalez
Vanillana.com - The Art of Chocolate
For more information on chocolate history, the Maya Civilization and their chocolate legend, click here.

Original article