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Easy Chocolate Cake

It doesn't get any simpler--or more delicious--than this. Dark chocolate and cream come together to form divine, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate truffles. For best results, use good-quality dark chocolate. For easily printable instructions, please see the Dark Chocolate Truffles recipe. Begin by assembling your ingredients:

* 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 1.5 cups chopped)
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* 1 tsp Vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
* Baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
* Small saucepan

Note also that these candies, like most truffles, require an extensive chilling period, so be sure to leave enough time when making them.



To Chop Chocolate, use a sharp, heavy chef’s knife (a large straight-bladed knife, usually 8-10 inches) and press down firmly and evenly on the chocolate, beginning with the corners and angling the knife slightly outward. Whittle the chocolate gradually, working from the corners, until the chocolate is chopped into small, even pieces. Place the chopped chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl.



Place the cream in a small saucepan and scald it until bubbles being to appear around the sides of the pan. Watch it carefully, as you do not want it to reach a full boil.



Carefully pour the cream over the chopped chocolate in the bowl. Allow the cream and chocolate to sit for one minute to soften and Melt Chocolate.



1. Using a whisk, gently stir to incorporate the cream and chocolate. At first the mixture will look muddy and messy, but continue to whisk smoothly.

2. Soon the chocolate and cream will come together and have a homogeneous texture. This chocolate-cream mixture is called "ganache." In addition to making truffles, ganache can be used to frost cakes or glaze baked goods. Once your mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and stir until it is well-combined, but do not stir too vigorously or you will incorporate air bubbles.



Cover the truffle mixture with cling wrap and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate until it is firm enough to spoon, about 1-2 hours depending on your refrigerator and on the chocolate you used. While you are waiting for the ganache to chill, place the cocoa powder in a shallow pie tin or plate.



There are many different methods of forming truffles. Two of the most common include piping the soft ganache into small mounds, then rolling them into balls, or scooping hardened ganache into small balls and rolling it. The method illustrated here is one of the easiest and fastest ways to form truffles, but be warned--it does get your hands messy!

1. Using a small spoon, scoop out a walnut-sized ball of ganache from the bowl. The texture of the ganache should be firm enough to scoop, but still a bit soft and not entirely hard. It should form a ball in the bowl of the spoon fairly easily and not crumble or break apart.

2. Drop the ball of ganache into the mound of cocoa powder in the pie tin, and stir it around so it is covered with cocoa powder. You can do one truffle at a time, or make several balls at a time.



Now that the ganache balls are roughly formed, it's time to make them round. Dust your hands with cocoa powder and pick up a cocoa-covered ganache ball. Gently roll it between your palms until it is round, then place it on the foil-lined baking sheet. Because the ball is already covered with cocoa powder and is fairly firm, it should be easy to shape and not stick to your palms very much. Repeat with remaining ganache and Cocoa Powder. If at any time the ganache becomes too soft to work with, place it in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.



Once rolled, your truffles are ready to eat! For best flavor and texture, they should be eaten at room temperature. If you are not going to serve them right away, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but bring them to room temperature before serving. You can store truffles in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Note that truffles are traditionally served with a coating of cocoa powder, but you can experiment by rolling them in toasted nuts, coconut, powdered sugar, or any other coatings you can dream up. Truffles can also be Dipped Chocolate if you desire.

Related : Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe