Arno Backes’s Classic Truffle Recipe

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TrufflesTruffles
Mixing the ingredientsPiped TrufflesCoating the truffleClassic TruffleTruffles
Menu item
Serves 10 truffles
Prep time
45m

Classic Truffle recipe by Master Chocolatier Arno Backes.

This Classic Truffle recipe is a popular recipe that is served in all the best chocolateries in Belgium. The variations can be endless, so don’t limit your imagination.

Meet Arno Backes, Master Chocolatier & Patissier
Meet Arno Backes, Master Chocolatier & Patissier

Arno Backes, Master Chocolatier & Patissier is a German-born pastry chef who has made delectable chocolates in London for the best in the business: Marasus Petit Fours, Harrods, the Ritz, The Dorchester and the British Royal family.

Arno’s Tips

  • The best cocoa powder to use is alkalised 22% or 23% fine cocoa powder. This is sometimes called Dutch Process cocoa powder.
  • Chocolate should be finely chopped to ensure it all melts and mixes smoothly with the cream.
  • Use a dark couverture with fruity acidic notes in its flavour characteristic which works well with the richness of the butter.
  • Butter should be roughly chopped to ensure it melts into the chocolate mix.
  • The mixture can split and the butter separate, so be gentle with the mixture
  • When piping the truffles, try to keep them as round and as compact as possible.
  • During the coating step, ensure the cocoa powder doesn’t get into the melted chocolate.
  • If you have two people for the coating step, have one person dip the truffles in the melted chocolate and the other roll them in cocoa powder.

Ingredients

  • 350 Grams
    cream
  • 1/2
    vanilla bean
  • 500 Grams
    fine cocoa powder
  • 190 Grams
    butter (unsalted)
  • 350 Grams
    single origin dark chocolate (60%)
  • Extra chocolate and cocoa for coating

Instructions

  1. Cut the vanilla bean longways and scrape out the seeds. Place the pod and seeds into the cream in a pot and bring the cream to the boil.

  2. Remove the vanilla pod and pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate.

  3. Mix until smooth using a whisk then add the butter and continue mixing until it melts and the mixture is smooth again.

  4. Cover with cling film and leave on the bench overnight.

  5. The next day, without mixing the ganache, spoon into a piping bag with a 10mm nozzle.

  6. Pipe round 10g balls onto greaseproof paper. Leave these to set overnight.

    Piped Truffles

  7. Temper a dark chocolate coverture and prepare a flat tray with sifted cocoa powder.

  8. Coat each truffle in chocolate then place into the cocoa powder and roll until covered.

    Coating the truffle

  9. Allow the truffles to fully set before shaking of excess cocoa powder.