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Easy Chocolate Cake

Dipping Truffles and other soft centers in a coating of chocolate adds a beautiful, delicious finishing touch to many candies. The chocolate imparts a good flavor while also adding a protective coating, and dipping candy centers is easy if you follow these basic instructions.

1. Choose Your Chocolate

The big question is, Chocolate or chocolate coating? Both options have pros and cons: chocolate tastes better but tempering takes time and can be tricky, whereas chocolate coating has an inferior taste but is fast and easy to work with.

In any case, use the best product you can afford. For chocolate coating, I recommend Felchin Ultra Gloss Dark Chocolate and for real chocolate, I recommend any high-quality chocolate that you enjoy eating on its own. After all, you will be imparting this flavor to all of your dipped candies! If you are using real chocolate, skip step 2, and if you are using chocolate coating skip step 3.

2. Melt the Chocolate Coating

First, the chocolate will need to be Choped Chocolate in order to melt evenly. Some brands of chocolate and chocolate coating can be purchased in wafer sizes or bite-sized bars that don't require chopping. However, if you buy large bars of chocolate or bulk chocolate coating, you will need to chop it before Melting Chocolate, so that it will melt at an even rate and not Overheated Chocolate.

Place the chopped coating chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave it at half-power (if your microwave has this feature) and stir after every minute. Stop heating when most of the coating is melted, and stir constantly until the remaining chunks of coating have melted and the mixture is smooth and even.

3. Temper the Chocolate

For professional-looking dipped candies, your chocolate should be tempered. Chocolate that has been tempered is smooth, with a shiny finish and a satisfying snap. Tempering Chocolate is not a difficult process, but it can take time and require a few pieces of specialized equipment. For tempering instructions, read how to temper chocolate, or watch a video showing how to temper chocolate.

Note that if you are pressed for time you can simply melt your chocolate with a small amount of shortening to thin it, but the resulting candies will have to remain refrigerated or they will begin to melt at room temperature.

4. Prepare Your Workstation

It is best to have everything ready before you begin dipping. Place your bowl of chocolate at your clean workstation and set out your dipping tools or dinner forks. Cover a baking sheet with a clean piece of parchment or aluminum foil for placing the finished candies on. Keep your truffles or soft fillings in the refrigerator until right before you are ready to use them.

5. Dip the Centers in the Prepared Chocolate

Slide the edge of your fork or dipping tool under the truffle or candy center, and lift it up gently. Drop the truffle into the melted chocolate and push it just under the surface of the chocolate. Lift it out of the chocolate with the fork, and tap the fork several times against the side of the bowl. Slide the bottom of the fork over the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate from the bottom of the candy. Place the fork over the prepared baking sheet, and tilt the fork so the edge of the truffle touches the sheet. Smoothly slide the fork out from under the truffle. If you are adding decorations or garnishes to your candies, do it now, when the chocolate is still wet. Repeat the process with the remaining centers and chocolate.

6. Allow the Chocolate to Set

If the temperature of your room is moderately cool (60 to 70 degrees) your candies can be left out to set, but if your room is warm, or you want to speed up the process, you can refrigerate them for approximately 30 minutes to set the chocolate. The exception is untempered chocolate, which should always be refrigerated after dipping.

7. Trim and Store the Candies

Once the chocolate has set, you might notice a small pool of chocolate forming "feet" at the bottom of your truffles. If desired, you can trim them with a small sharp paring knife. Wear gloves to avoid getting fingerprints on your candies, and place them on a flat surface. Grip the candy in one hand, and use the paring knife to press down on the excess chocolate and cut it off in short clean strokes. Trimming the candies is purely an aesthetic decision, and you can certainly skip this step if desired. Store the candies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Related : Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

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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

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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. Use good-quality chocolate for the best results. A tablespoon of rum or brandy can be added in with the Vanilla, if desired. These candies, like most truffles, have several extensive chilling periods, so make sure you leave enough time when making them.Be sure to check out the photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions showing How to Make Truffles.

Ingredients

* 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 2/3 cup cream
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

Preparation

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the Chop Chocolate in a large bowl.

2. Place the cream in a small saucepan and scald it until bubbles being to appear around the sides of the pan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow it to soften and melt the chocolate for one minute.

3. Using a whisk, gently stir to incorporate the cream and chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until well-combined, but do not stir too vigorously or you will incorporate air bubbles.

4. 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 2 hours.

5. Using a teaspoon or cookie dough scoop, form small 1-inch balls from the ganache and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ganache. Return to the refrigerator to chill for another hour.

6. Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl or pie tin. Dust your hands with cocoa powder and place a truffle in the cocoa, rolling it until it is coated. Roll the truffle briefly between your palms to form a round shape, then place it back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles.

7. If you have different varieties/shades of Cocoa Powder, you can experiment with rolling the truffles in two different cocoas, creating stripes or dots of different colors. Truffles can also be topped with chocolate shavings. Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and bring them to room temperature before serving.

Related : Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe