What is a truffle?
A truffle is made from chocolate ganache – or a rich center made by blending chocolate with a fat until it emulsifies into a creamy, melt-in-your mouth delight. It is a common mistake to refer to other gourmet chocolates as “truffles” ... A true truffle must contain ganache.
But did you know that Sweet Designs' recipe is different from the common American ganache, which is a blend of heavy whipping cream and chocolate? Instead, we follow a classic European recipe – butter and chocolate. Butter not only adds richness, but helps the ganache melt more readily at body temperature, creating that decadent experience we all enjoy.
Where did truffles come from?
Although its origins are hotly debated in the chocolate world, the most common legend is that it was created on Christmas Day in 1895 in the city of Chambéry, France by the pastry chef Louis Dufour (1). Dufour had run out of pastries to sell to his clients for Christmas, and improvised the first chocolate ganache with ingredients he had in the kitchen.
Why is it called a truffle?
The most common iteration of a chocolate truffle is rolled in cocoa powder, yielding a finished product that looks similar to black truffles, the fruiting body of an underground fungus known for its bold taste and high price.
(1) Source: Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia.
