Recipe: Green Tea Truffles

the appetizer:

Chocolates and Confections at Home by Peter P. Greweling and The Culinary Institute of America, includes recipes like Almond Dragees; Green Tea Truffles; and Rochers; and techniques like Dry Sugar Cooking and Tempering Chocolate.

Green Tea Truffles

Makes 48 Pieces

Macha green tea not only flavors this ganache, but also provides its distinctive green color. Different green teas have different flavor nuances; try different teas and vary the amount to find your own cup of tea.

Skill Level 2 of 3

4 oz (1-1/2 cup) heavy cream
2 tsp Macha green tea powder
1-1/2 oz (2 tbsp) light corn syrup
12 oz (2 cups) white chocolate, pistoles or chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 oz (1 tbsp) butter, unsalted, soft
12 oz (2 cups) white chocolate or white compound coating,
chopped in 1/2-inch pieces, for dipping
1 tsp Macha green tea powder, for garnish

1. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine the cream, green tea, and corn syrup in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.

3. Remove from the heat. Add the chopped white chocolate or pistoles and butter to the cream and stir until smooth and homogeneous.

4. Pour the finished ganache into the baking pan to make a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more until the ganache is firm.

5. Put the ganache in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed using a paddle attachment for 30 seconds. Or stir vigorously in a mixing bowl by hand, using a spatula.

6. Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.

7. Using a #100 scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out balls of ganache and place on a pan with parchment paper at room temperature.

8. When all of the ganache has been scooped, roll up each portion into a round ball by hand.

9. Melt and temper the white chocolate for dipping using Tempering Chocolate (or the procedure on page 36 of the book). If using compound coating, follow the heating instructions on the package.

10. Dip the ganache centers in the tempered white chocolate or white compound coating using one of the techniques illustrated below (or see pages 44-45 of the book).

11. After dipping, but before the chocolate sets, sprinkle green tea on top of each truffle.

Keys to Success

Make sure the ganache has enough time to firm in the refrigerator. An hour is a good guideline, but it is okay to leave it longer, even overnight if desired.
Resting the ganache after mixing allows it to harden slightly, which makes scooping much easier.
Dipping the truffles twice creates a thicker chocolate shell, but dipping once provides a faster alternative.
Putting the green tea for garnish in a shaker makes it easier to apply.

Dipping Chocolate

1. Place the rolled ganache center into the bowl of chocolate. Using a round dipping fork, push the center into the chocolate to submerge it, and with one swift J motion, invert it and lift it out of the chocolate. Move the fork repeatedly up and down so that the bottom of the dipped center touches the surface of the chocolate. Do this six to eight times.

2. Clean the bottom of the dipped center on the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate from the center. This will prevent a foot from forming when the center is put down.

3. Gently roll the dipped truffle off of the loop and onto the prepared tray.

4. Allowing the front of the dipped center to extend past the end of the fork makes it easier to put the finished piece down.