Pistachio And White Chocolate Truffles Recipe

Chocolate truffles are one of life's little luxuries. While store-bought chocolates have a respectable place in the dessert world, there's nothing quite like a fresh, homemade truffle. And, if you decide to rustle up a batch in your own kitchen, not only do you get to indulge in devouring the ultimate chocolate treat, you also get to don your chefs hat and enjoy boasting rights for making your own confection.

While it may seem like a truly mystifying process, when it comes down to it, chocolate truffles are actually surprisingly simple to make. This pistachio and white chocolate truffle recipe, from the kitchen of Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, is perfect for anyone looking to branch out and explore some different flavors when making their own truffles. This recipe is ideal for those with a sweet tooth and a penchant for anything nutty. The rich and creamy flavor of white chocolate is paired with the earthy nutty taste of pistachios, with a ground pistachio crust creating a shell around the truffle, enhancing the nutty finish as well as adding a gorgeous green coloring.

To begin this pistachio and white chocolate truffles recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will want white chocolate, heavy cream, butter, pistachio extract, and shelled pistachios.

Fill a small saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and place it over low heat. Place a bowl on top, making sure it doesn't touch the water.

Add the white chocolate, cream, butter, and pistachio extract to the bowl over the bain-marie.

Stir the ingredients over the bain-marie until the mixture is melted.

Set the mixture aside to cool, and once it reaches room temperature, transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours to harden.

Add the pistachios to a food processor and blend for 30 seconds until finely ground.

Use a teaspoon to scoop out portions of the truffle mixture.

Roll the mixture between your palms to create rough circular shapes.

Roll the formed truffles around in the ground pistachios to thoroughly coat.

Return to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden.

Store in the fridge or serve the truffles right away.

If you are a chocolate lover, the likelihood is that you'll have your personal favorite when it comes to the different varieties of this creamy sweet treat. If you favor milk chocolate, you certainly wouldn't be alone, or perhaps you're more of a dark chocolate person. So, if white chocolate isn't your top choice, you'll be pleased to know that you can use different types of chocolate for this truffle recipe.

Thankfully, the sweet, earthy flavor of pistachios pairs just as well with milk chocolate and dark chocolate as it does with white chocolate. To switch things up you can simply directly substitute one for the other in this recipe, resulting in delicious nutty and creamy truffles just how you like them. Just remember that the quality of chocolate used in truffles is the real key to a delicious end result, so don't hold back on buying the good stuff when gathering the ingredients for this recipe. 

If you've ever accidentally burned chocolate while attempting to melt it for a recipe, you'll know the frustration it can cause. To avoid wasting good quality ingredients it is important to proceed with caution when it comes to melting chocolate. This recipe uses a bain-marie, also known as a double boiler, to prepare the truffle mixture, which is a tried and tested way to get that desired silky, unburned finish. This technique works so well as the chocolate is never directly in contact with a heating element. It is instead suspended in a bowl over a pan of hot water, which provides a much gentler environment in which the chocolate can evenly melt.

If, however, you don't have the time or the set up for this method, there are other options available to you. While a bain-marie is probably the best way to melt chocolate, a microwave is actually quicker and will result in less washing up afterwards. The key is to only microwave the chocolate in short 20 second bursts on a medium power setting, and to make sure to remove the chocolate and give it a good stir during each interval. While this method is definitely riskier, as long as you keep a watchful eye on the process and don't try to take things too quickly, you'll end up with wonderfully smooth melted chocolate ready to use for your pistachio and white chocolate truffle recipe.