Coffee Fanatic Chocolate Truffles

Coffee lovers note! It's easy to make delicious truffles and here we tell you how to use coffee instead of cream to make a dreamy sweet that's lactose-free.

By Ecole Chocolat

Coffee and dark chocolate combine to make a lactose-free, intensely flavored truffle. Photo by Ric Ernst

Cook's Notes: We tried this recipe with both 60 percent dark and good-quality milk chocolate. The dark chocolate produced an intensely flavored bonbon that is lactose-free and is guaranteed to be a black-coffee and dark-chocolate addict's dream. Those who prefer their coffee with cream and their chocolate with less bite would like the milk chocolate version better. Reduce the amount of coffee by one third if using milk chocolate.

Yield: about 14 1-inch truffles

Ingredients

7 oz. (200g) dark chocolate (chopped fine)
1/3 cup (75ml) coffee or espresso, depending on how strong you want the coffee flavor (or 1 tbsp. and 2 tsps. if using milk chocolate)
1/2 tbsp. salted or unsalted butter (optional)
1/2 cup (125ml) unsweetened cocoa for rolling the truffles

Recipe Instructions

Place finely chopped chocolate into a high-sided bowl or the bowl of a blender. Place coffee in a saucepan over medium heat until hot but not simmering; remove the pan from the heat. Or microwave coffee in a cup for 30 seconds.

Pour hot coffee over chocolate and blend in blender or in bowl with hand-held immersion blender. Or stir with a sturdy whisk, spatula or wooden spoon until you achieve a smooth consistency.

Add butter, if desired, and stir into the mixture until very smooth consistency is reached. Make sure all chocolate lumps are melted. Let stand at room temperature for one to two hours until ganache has set and is firm.

Scrape spoon or melon-ball cutter across surface of mixture. Dust hands with cocoa and quickly press truffle with fingertips into 1-inch (2.5cm) balls. Drop the balls into the cocoa and roll until well coated. Place on Silpat, waxed paper or parchment paper to set for several hours. Store truffles in the refrigerator in and air-tight plastic container or bag for 1 week or freeze, triple wrapped, in freezer bags for 1-2 months.

Recipe Source: Ecole Chocolat. All rights reserved.

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Photography by Jessica Washburn, Bliss Chocolatier and Ecole Chocolat