From Cook's Illustrated. Published January 1, 2012.
Ingredients:
Ganache -
2 cups bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened
Coating -
Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2 cups finely chopped hazelnuts
Instructions:
For the Ganache -
1. Lightly coat 8-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
2. Make parchment sling - fold 2 long sheets of parchment so that they are as long as the baking pan. Lay sheets of parchment in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra hanging over edges of pan. Push parchment into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing flush to pan.
3. Microwave dark chocolate chips in medium bowl at 50 percent power for 2-3 minutes while stirring occassionlly. Set aside.
4. Microwave cream in measuring cup until warm to touch - about 30 seconds.
5. Stir corn syrup, vanilla, and salt into cream.
6. Pour mixture over chocolate.
7. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, set aside for 3 minutes.
8. Stir with wooden spoon to combine.
9. Stir in butter one piece at a time, until fully incorporated.
10. Using a spatula, transfer ganache to prepared pan with the parchment paper and set aside at room temperature for 2 hours.
11. Cover pan and transfer to refrigerator to chill for 2 hours and up to 2 days.
For the coating -
12. Sift cocoa through fine mesh strainer into large bowl.
13. Sift again into a large cake pan and set aside.
14. Place chopped hazelnuts in another large cake pan and set aside.
Bringing it all together -
15. Lift ganache from pan by gripping the overhanging parchment.
16. Cut ganache into 64 1 inch squares - (8 rows by 8 rows). If ganache cracks while cooking, let sit for 5-10 minutes and continue.
17. Dust hands with cocoa powder and roll each square into a ball.
18. Transfer balls to pan with cocoa coating and roll to evenly coat.
19. Lightly shake truffles over cocoa pan, then roll in hazelnut pan.
20. Transfer coated truffles to airtight container and repeat until all ganache rolls are rolled and coated.
21. Cover container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
22. Let truffles sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Mark's Notes -
I have only made this once. It turned out a bit dry with the first bite, then the second bite you were into the colder soft chocolate part and the contrast was interesting, but I think I messed up by coating it with too much cocoa powder. I didn't have the hazelnuts either the first time I made this. I used the alternate listed below. I'd like to try it with hazelnuts.
If you don't like nuts or hazelnuts then don't use those. Instead mix in 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar in with the cocoa powder and sift. Then roll the ganache in that cocoa/sugar mix for the coating.
....I also have absolutely no idea how to actually pronounce the word 'ganache'. I'll look it up in the dictionary.
