Homemade Chocolate Truffles

(Chautauqua-Allegheny)

Remember that classic scene in “I Love Lucy” when Lucy and Ethel were put to work on a fast-moving chocolate production line to hilarious results? With this decadent recipe, we’re paying homage to one of New York’s greatest hometown heroines, Lucille Ball, who hails from Jamestown, NY. There you can visit the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum and the National Comedy Center, where you can star in that same iconic chocolate-making scene, thanks to the magic of green screen technology. Get a head start by practicing in your own kitchen at home and you’ll see that making truffles is one of those rare things that is easier than it looks on TV! Click here for a downloadable, printable card featuring this recipe.​

Craft Beverage Pairing: Port (wine); Chocolate Stout (beer)

Serves 12

Ingredients

5 ounces chocolate (semi-sweet, milk, bittersweet, or dark) or chocolate chips 
2.5 ounces heavy cream 
8 ounces chocolate sprinkles 
Optional: other coating ingredients, like toasted coconut,  chopped nuts, or cocoa powder

Directions

  1. Finely chop the 5 ounces of chocolate (if it isn’t in chip form). 
  2. Place chopped chocolate in a dry stainless-steel bowl.
  3. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream just to a boil on medium-high heat.  
  4. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate.
  5. Let the mixture sit for 30-60 seconds, then begin stirring in the center and work your way outwards until smooth with no lumps to make the ganache. 
  6. Cover the ganache directly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 
  7. While the ganache is setting up, put your chocolate sprinkles in a bowl or your coating ingredients, if using. 
  8. Once ganache sets, scoop and roll the ganache centers using a small scoop or large spoon. Typically, the center of a truffle will weigh roughly half an ounce, about a size of a walnut.
  9. Coat the ganache with desired ingredients and let the outside set, about 1 hour.