Chocolate Champagne Truffles Recipe 435

Steps:

• Using a ladle, fill 2 cork molds with chocolate. When they are full, empty the excess back into the bowl of chocolate. The inside of the molds should be evenly coated with chocolate. Wipe the lip of the molds clean and place them upside down on a wire rack over a baking sheet to drain. Once the chocolate starts to harden, about 5 minutes, use a wide pastry scraper to clean the edges of each cavity clean. This is important because when the chocolate sets, it shrinks or retracts from the sides of the mold. A clean edge will keep it from sticking and cracking as it shrinks. You can place the mold in the refrigerator for several minutes to help the chocolate to harden.
• Place the champagne and cream into a small saucepan and heat the mixture to a boil. Pour the hot champagne mixture over the chopped chocolate and corn syrup and blend until smooth with an immersion hand blender. Add the marc du champagne and the butter and blend until smooth with an immersion hand blender. Allow the mixture to cool until it has a thick consistency (thick enough to pipe). Place the mixture in a piping bag and pipe it into the chocolate filled molds. Let set overnight. Close the bottom of one mold by apply chocolate with an offset spatula. Scrape clean then press the two molds together evenly. Allow to set. When the chocolate has set, remove the whole "corks" from the molds.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres):
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

Steps:

• Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately pour hot cream over the chocolate in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Stir in the Champagne and Cognac. Refrigerate until chocolate mixture is firm enough to roll into balls, about 1 hour.
• Using a small melon baller or ice-cream scoop, form 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in coarse sanding sugar, and transfer to rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate truffles at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days before serving.

Steps:

• Make 40 truffles according to the recipe for chocolate-port wine truffles, using champagne instead of port. Chill them thoroughly.
• Break the chocolate in pieces and melt in the top of a double boiler or in a microwave oven. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat or the oven and allow it to cool to tepid, 90 to 100 degrees, stirring it from time to time.
• Drop the truffles one at a time into the melted chocolate, then quickly lift them out with a fork or a professional dipping loop, allowing excess chocolate to drip off.
• Arrange on a sheet of waxed paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate at least two hours, until firm and cold.

Steps:

• Place the chopped semisweet chocolate in a medium-size bowl. Set aside. Combine the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for one minute, then gently whisk until the chocolate is melted. (The mixture will be slightly thick.) Pour the champagne into the chocolate mixture and whisk gently until incorporated. Cover the chocolate mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight. Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon the chilled mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate. Place all but a 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into a heat-safe bowl. Set aside. Bring a few cups of water to a boil in a medium-size sauce pot. Turn off the heat and place the bowl with the chocolate chips on top of the sauce pot. Let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Lightly whisk the chocolate chips until fully melted. Remove the bowl from the sauce pot, add the reserved 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, and whisk until completely melted. Dip the truffles in the melted chocolate (a dipping fork really comes in handy here) and place them in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the truffles sit until the chocolate has completely hardened. If desired, use a small, dry paintbrush to brush edible gold leaves on top of each truffle.