Oh, the lure of chocolates! Especially during the Christmas season when I always make a new flavor of chocolate truffles to share with family and friends.
With a combination of dark chocolate, ground ancho chili pepper, Tahitian vanilla powder, and Ceylon cinnamon, I made these heavenly truffles this year…
Known for its sweet, smoky rich flavor with notes of coffee, paprika, and raisin, ancho chili pepper is a perfect match for dark chocolate. And with the smooth, floral taste of Tahitian vanilla and the delicate sweetness of Ceylon cinnamon added in, these dark chocolate truffles will slowly reveal their complex flavors as they melt in your mouth.
For the quickest version of truffles - and a less messy one - skip the round shape and make a block instead. After the ganache sets in a cake pan, just cut the block into cute, little squares.
With only 10 minutes of work, you end up with a few dozen dark chocolate truffles ready to be packed inside gift boxes, and a few leftover for you to enjoy.
And as we are wrapping up the year, we hope that you get to take time to unwind and spend the holiday season with your loved ones. Merry Christmas! May it be filled with lots of love and wonderful food!
And as we are wrapping up the year, we hope that you get to take time to unwind and spend the holiday season with your loved ones. Merry Christmas! May it be filled with lots of love and wonderful food!
Dark Chocolate Ancho Chili Truffles recipe
by Season with Spice
Makes one 7” x 7” block of chocolate
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp ground vanilla bean powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
400g good quality dark chocolate (between 60% to 75% cocoa) - broken into pieces
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (more for dusting)
1 tbsp of Season with Spice's ground ancho chili pepper
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon powder
Method:
1. In a saucepan, over low heat, bring the cream and butter to a simmer. Then stir in ancho chili powder and Ceylon cinnamon, and remove the pan from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes to infuse the cream with the flavor and aroma of the spices.
2. Next, add in the chopped chocolate, and return the saucepan to the stove and heat over low fire. When the chocolate begins to melt, turn the fire off and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted (be careful not to burn the chocolate). Then mix in the cocoa powder and vanilla bean powder, and stir until smooth.
3. Line a 7” x 7” cake pan with parchment paper (or a similar sized pan depending on how thin or thick you want the truffle squares). Pour the chocolate ganache into the pan, and use a spatula to smooth out the surface evenly. Let cool slightly, and then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Chill for a several hours, or overnight, until the ganache is firm throughout.
4. Turn the chocolate on to a work surface. Trim the edges (for yourself), and cut into desired sized squares. Dust with cocoa powder. Then place back in the refrigerator until you are ready to pack as gifts.
by Season with Spice
Makes one 7” x 7” block of chocolate
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp ground vanilla bean powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
400g good quality dark chocolate (between 60% to 75% cocoa) - broken into pieces
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (more for dusting)
1 tbsp of Season with Spice's ground ancho chili pepper
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon powder
Method:
1. In a saucepan, over low heat, bring the cream and butter to a simmer. Then stir in ancho chili powder and Ceylon cinnamon, and remove the pan from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes to infuse the cream with the flavor and aroma of the spices.
2. Next, add in the chopped chocolate, and return the saucepan to the stove and heat over low fire. When the chocolate begins to melt, turn the fire off and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted (be careful not to burn the chocolate). Then mix in the cocoa powder and vanilla bean powder, and stir until smooth.
3. Line a 7” x 7” cake pan with parchment paper (or a similar sized pan depending on how thin or thick you want the truffle squares). Pour the chocolate ganache into the pan, and use a spatula to smooth out the surface evenly. Let cool slightly, and then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Chill for a several hours, or overnight, until the ganache is firm throughout.
4. Turn the chocolate on to a work surface. Trim the edges (for yourself), and cut into desired sized squares. Dust with cocoa powder. Then place back in the refrigerator until you are ready to pack as gifts.
