Valentine’s Day is always sweeter with a little bit of your favorite treats. One of the most popular gifts given on this day is chocolate truffles. Rightfully so, since these little bite-sized delights are not only delicious but may potentially enhance your mood. I know I’m always in a good mood whenever I eat chocolate!
Chocolate contains a natural compound called theobromine. Theobromine has subtle side effects very similar to that of caffeine. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. It may reduce blood pressure and induce a sense of calm in addition to a few other health benefits.
It’s easier to indulge in something that is not just sinful but can be healthy too. Now that said, eating a pound of chocolate is not going to give you any health benefits, but perhaps a small piece of dark chocolate will. (I actually wouldn’t mind being the guinea pig for that scientific experiment!)
For Valentine’s sweets I like to include passion fruit, not just because it contains the word passion. Passion fruit goes really well with either a dark chocolate (70%) or a dark milk chocolate (40%). The acid is the passion fruit cuts through the fat of the chocolate and creates this beautiful medley on your taste buds. Passion fruit is similar to a fresh orange flavor, but with attitude. Passion fruit is tart, sweet and citrusy with a tropical punch. Put it with chocolate and it turns into a seductive combination.
When making chocolate truffles there are a few things to be mindful of. First, use high quality ingredients. If you can find Cocoa Barry or Valrhona brand chocolates at your local market, I would recommend splurging on one of them for this recipe. If you can’t find either of those brands, then opt for Ghirardelli. Use heavy cream. Sometimes the containers are labeled “whipping cream.” Half & half will not work. And make sure to use your immersion hand blender to ensure the truffle base is completely emulsified.
Taste the ganache before allowing it to set. You may want a little extra something in it, such as a splash of Grand Marnier or perhaps some fresh orange zest. Tasting it will give you the confidence as you create your perfect truffle.
It is sometimes intimidating to explore outside of an exact recipe. To get the most out of the recipe below, I included options you can play around with. Choose which extras you want to put into your recipe and make your truffles unique!
Here is my recipe for Valentine’s Chocolate Passion Truffles for you to enjoy with someone you love:
Heavy Cream 200 grams (or ¾ Cup)
Passion Fruit Puree/Juice 50 grams (or ¼ Cup)
Dark Chocolate 50-75% 200 grams (or approximately 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp)
Unsalted Butter 1 Tbsp
Optional Extras:
Zest of ¼ to ½ Orange
Zest of ½ to 1 Lime
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier
Pinch of Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Champagne Extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
Pastry Chef Keli Marks
Pastry Chef Keli Marks is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. She received a full year education at the French Pastry School in Chicago, IL in exchange for being the very first assistant to Jacquy Pfeiffer & Sebastien Canonne, MOF when they opened the school in 1996.
Keli has been on the Food Network on three separate occasions: Sugar Rush, Romance Novel Cake Challenge and The Holiday Baking Championships. In addition, she was on the Chicago chapter’s board for Les Dames d’Escoffier from 2009 – 2011 and was a guest pastry chef at the famed James Beard House in NYC in 2013.
As the pastry chef owner of Bakery 28, she incorporates local ingredients from farmers within the Carolinas and promises to only use natural ingredients.
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