IMBB? # 8: Raise Your Spirits High! Chocolate Bailey Truffles

The Is My Blog Burning?-events are probably one of the major reasons I ventured into food blogging land myself - I found it ever so entertaining to read about the adventures of so many people, acting on the same topic, be it soup, tartines, a cakewalk (darn, I had to miss that!), rice, fish, grilling and dumplings. Naturally, I had to participate in it this time, the 8th. time around! Hosted by the lovely Donna at There's a Chef in my Kitchen with the innovative theme: Raise your spirits high! Rules are easy: use spirits, wine, beer - something with an alcohol-content! - and tell all about it!

So of course, when I first started thinking about what to make, my mind went absolutely blank - guess that just has to happen! Then slowly, but steadily, ideas started creeping in on me - or well, rather, I stumbled across them in my cookbooks and magazines! Barolo risotto with radicchio - Vodka & Herb Gnocchis - Crepe Suzette?! - Bailey Chocolate Truffles... Hey, wait, did I just see Bailey and chocolate in the same recipe? That HAS to be good!

For a while I've wanted to try my hand at home made chocolates and seeing how I love Baileys - how could I not? The fact that you didn't have to temperate (is that what it's called in English? You know, the process that makes sure your chocolate stays shiny?) the chocolate also appealed to me... Therefore I bring to you:

CHOCOLATE BAILEY TRUFFLES
recipe adapted from Morten Heiberg

Ingredients:


1 ½ dl. whipping cream (38% fat content)
50 g. glucose
200 g. chopped dark chocolate (66%)
½ dl. Baileys
200 g. white or dark chocolate, melted, for coating
Icing sugar or cocoa powder for rolling the truffles in



Put the chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the glucose and whipping cream to a boil. When it reaches boiling point, pour one third of the cream/glucose over the chopped chocolate, stirring with small, but steady movements in the middle of the chocolate. Gradually add the rest of the cream/glucose mixture, all the while stirring - the chocolate will (hopefully?) melt completely, creating what is known as a ganache. When the ganache is about 35 degrees celsius, mix in the Baileys. Leave to cool (my recipes says you can't put it in the fridge to cool, but I don't think it'll ever set if you don't! So I did! Heh!)

Result:



Not quite as smooth as it should have been I think, but it would have to do - afterall, it is first time around!

The ganache is to be cut up in small pieces, about 2 x 2 cm, coated with the melted chocolate (white or dark as you prefer) I started out with the white, but alas - dipping the ganache in melted chocolate made the ganache melt, so I ended up with a weirdly colored white chocolate, which tasted really nice though! On to the dark chocolate - the ganache probably still melted a bit, but I couldn't tell, so I pretended it didn't! After the dipping, you throw the truffle in cocoa powder or icing sugar and leave it there for a while to harden. I put half in cocoa powder, half in icing sugar, but the icing sugar made for a weird looking result - dirty snow kinda, so I ate those before I had a chance to take a picture! Cooks priviliges, eih? For keeping, again, the recipe said DON'T put in the fridge - I did. Just left the truffles in the cocoa powder, in a box, in the fridge - and took some to my Mom's for coffee this afternoon. They went down well!



Rich, smooth and with a nice Bailey aftertaste, although not too overpowering... Definetly not the last time I'll do my own chocolates! And I'd say they lifted our spirits pretty well up there...

Now, can't wait to read what everyone else has been up to...