The Type Of Chocolate You Should Use For Truffles

There are two different legends about the invention of the chocolate truffle. The Wocorlando Chocolate Museum says that the honor could either go to French chef Auguste Escoffier, due to a kitchen accident, or to French patisserie Louis Dufour,  because of a Christmas debacle. Whatever the case might be, it is believed the truffle was invented around the turn of the 20th century when chocolate was beginning to become more accessible to chefs and their consumers. 

The truffle, with its rich flavor and beautiful presentation, was very expensive at the time, and for the most part, only royalty and the extremely wealthy indulged in this chocolatey delight. Today, the truffle is still viewed as an occasional treat, something you'd eat on a holiday or special occasion. But for such a prestigious dessert, it has a very funny name. The word "truffle" is rooted in the Latin word for "lump" and it was given this rather crude name because truffles look a lot like truffle mushrooms (of the same name). Just give the truffle mushroom a quick google and you'll see why it was named so.

Not all chocolates are created equal. If you attempt to make truffles at home and use low-quality chocolates, you'll regret it. So, here is what not to do: Do not use chocolate chips. Use chocolate bars you've chopped up yourself. Chocolate chips are usually lower-quality chocolate and have a non-melting coating. According to The Kitchn, low quality chocolate can result in a rough and unseemly truffle. It is important to the overall quality of your truffles that you spend a few extra bucks to get the good stuff. A truffle is only as good as the ingredients you put in it, and in this case, you can't spin straw into gold. Another thing to avoid is chocolate that contains hardening agents like coconut oil or butter.

Here is what to look for: Simply Recipes says to use chocolate baking bars between 60% and 70% cacao content. They suggest Ghirardelli's and Scharffen Berger brands. But watch out: Using chocolate with over 70% cocoa might become bitter and result in a dry ganache. Who knew picking out chocolate could be so hard? But now you have all the tools you need to make the best decision for your truffles.