SHF #27 -- Very Valrhona

I’m ecstatic to say that this is my first ever Sugar High Friday entry. Hosted by David Lebovitz, I was thrilled when I found out that his theme is Chocolate by Brand. While I’m not usually one to judge things by the brand (or price), my white chocolate of choice just happens to be one of high esteem in the chocolate world: Valrhona.

A piece of pure, unadulterated white chocolate – c’est mon plaisir sucre.

I always have and always will have a love affair with white chocolate. Working in pastry has granted me the opportunity to taste so many brands and percentages of chocolate, which ultimately helped develop and refine my palate. I now love the dark, bittersweet chocolate I used to loathe as a child, but I have also reaffirmed my adoration for a good white chocolate. Particularly Valrhona white chocolate. Valrhona white chocolate tastes of sheer purity and the delicate smoothness melting on my tongue is just heavenly. While many of the other white chocolates I’ve sampled over the years are too sweet and cloying, Valrhona’s is simply the perfect degree of sweet.

Some people argue that white chocolate is not chocolate, as it is a controversial mélange of cocoa butter, sugar, milk and vanilla. Dark chocolate contains cacao, sugar, cocoa butter and sometimes vanilla and lecithin, but white chocolate has none of the cacao, and hence the creamy ivory color. But, I will always consider it chocolate.

Just a different kind of chocolate.

And I like it.

***

Sweet and plump, truffles are often a favorite on the infamous petit fours plates of great restaurants, are ideal for gift-giving, and are a ton of fun to make. At its simplest, a truffle is merely the emulsified mixture of chocolate and cream, called ganache, and the ratio of cream to chocolate is what determines the consistency of the ganache. There is a lot of room for creativity with truffles, but all are basically the ganache filling surrounded by some sort of coating (be it chocolate, nuts, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, coconut….). Perfectly round, they’re just the right size for a bite of indulgence – and as they say, the best things come in little packages.

I know truffles were the theme of SHF #25, just the other month, but being overwhelmed with holiday activities, I never got around to submitting my entry. So I’ve decided to display my favorite of the variety of truffles I made for holiday gifts…a spicy white chocolate gingerbread truffle. (My holiday truffle mix also included: pumpkin spice, Guinness, roasted pear and ginger, eggnog and white chocolate coconut curry.)

Even though I completely pulled this recipe out of thin air as I crafted the truffles, I have to say that I was quite pleased with the results. Smooth, piquant and delicious, the ganache was a pure delight, perfect for the crisp winter weather. Once chilled, I coated the nude rounds with a thin layer of tempered white chocolate, and then rolled them in gingersnaps to add a delicate crunch. Yum.

Gingerbread truffles
Makes 3-4 dozen truffles

Ingredients:
14 oz white chocolate
4 oz heavy cream
2 oz molasses
1 cinnamon stick
½ oz fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves
salt

1 pound Valrhona white chocolate, tempered for coating
1 box gingersnaps, finely ground in a food processor

Preparation:
In a small saucepan, bring the cream, molasses, cinnamon, ginger and sices to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors. Place back onto the heat and bring back to a simmer. Place the chopped chocolate into a large bowl, and strain the cream mixture into the chocolate. Let sit a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Using an immersion blender or a whisk, combine the cream and chocolate until completely emulsified and smooth. Cool, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Line an airtight container with parchment or wax paper. Dip a small melon baller into a cup of hot water, quickly dry with a dish towl, and then scoop, turning the baller 360 degrees to form round balls of ganache. Lightly tap the baller so the balls drop into the container, separating layers occasionally with more parchment or wax paper. Repeat with remaining ganache. Transfer the container with the balls to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Temper (seeding method) the white chocolate for coating:

Tempering is a method by which chocolate is stabilized through a controlled heating and cooling that gives it a smooth and glossy finish, particularly useful for coating or dipping. Tempered chocolate will have a crisp snap and won’t melt on your fingers as easily as improperly tempered chocolate.

Coarsely chop the chocolate into small, even-sized chunks. Slowly melt 2/3rds of the chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, or over a double boiler, stirring constantly. (You’ll need a chocolate thermometer at this point). Heat the chocolate until it reaches 110-115°F on the thermometer. When the chocolate is melted and smooth, add the rest of the third of chocolate in batches, stirring until the entire chocolate becomes smooth and cools to 82-84°F. At this point, slowly reheat the chocolate in the microwave in 5 seconds increments until it reaches 86-87°F.

[Chef’s Note: Temperatures vary for bitter, milk and white chocolates.]

It is advisable to test the temper of the chocolate at this point, before starting to dip. I’ve learned from my pastry chef that you can test the temperature by placing a dab of chocolate just above the upper lip. It should feel cool, but not cold. Almost like room temperature milk. Next, test the temper by spreading a small amount on the point of a knife or spatula and allow it to cool. If the chocolate is tempered, it will harden evenly and be smooth and glossy within five minutes. Dull areas, wet areas or blotchy streaks may indicate a poor temper, and you’ll have to retemper the chocolate before proceeding.

You are now ready to coat the truffles. Spread a little of the tempered chocolate onto the palm of one hand. Place the ganache ball into the layer of chocolate and rotate, fully coating the ball. Immediately toss into the gingersnap crumbs, turning to completely coat with your chocolate free hand. Remove from the crumbs and place on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet to set up. Repeat with the remaining ganache balls, then once completely set up, store in small paper cups in the refrigerator. Pop one in your mouth and enjoy!

[Chef’s Note: If your chocolate cools to lower than 84°F, but is still melted, you can reheat it slightly back to its workable, tempered temperature of 86-87°F.]

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