Black currant dark chocolate truffles (Print Version)

Silky dark chocolate shells encasing a tart black currant ganache, finished with cocoa dusting or freeze-dried berries.

# Components:

→ Ganache Center

01 - 4.2 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped
02 - 2 fl oz heavy cream
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
04 - 3 tbsp black currant purée, strained and unsweetened
05 - 1 tbsp black currant liqueur, optional

→ Chocolate Coating

06 - 7 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

→ Garnish

07 - 2 tbsp freeze-dried black currants, crushed
08 - 2 tbsp cocoa powder

# Directions:

01 - Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and add the chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Add butter, black currant purée, and liqueur if using. Mix until fully combined and glossy. Transfer to a shallow dish, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until firm.
02 - Scoop out teaspoonfuls of chilled ganache and roll into balls with clean hands. Place on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for 20 minutes.
03 - Melt the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water using a double boiler method, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly. Using a fork or dipping tool, dip each ganache ball into the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place coated truffles back on the tray.
04 - While the coating is still wet, sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried black currants or dust lightly with cocoa powder.
05 - Let truffles set at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for faster setting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That moment when you bite through the shell and the fruity ganache melts on your tongue feels like a tiny luxury you actually made yourself.
  • They look genuinely fancy sitting in their paper cups, yet nobody needs to know you spent just over two hours total (mostly waiting around).
  • Black currant has this sophisticated tartness that prevents them from ever feeling cloying—even after eating three in a row.
02 -
  • Overheating the cream even slightly will break your ganache's emulsion—it'll look separated and grainy no matter how much you stir, so low and slow is genuinely the only way.
  • Your hands have natural oils that actually help keep the ganache from sticking while rolling; cold hands are helpful but trying to use a spoon or tool just creates frustrated crumbling instead.
03 -
  • If you can't find black currant purée anywhere reasonable, making your own from frozen black currants takes about fifteen minutes and tastes even better than store-bought.
  • The liqueur isn't just flavor—it's also a touch of insurance against your ganache ever becoming too stiff or grainy, since the alcohol adds a subtle mobility to the mixture.
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