Silky, creamy, blueberry chocolate truffles are an easy and elegant homemade treat and/or gift.
No celebration is complete without chocolate, and homemade chocolate truffles make for an easy and elegant treat. There is something undeniably gratifying about offering a homemade gift that is also thankfully easy to make and that's what these chocolate blueberry truffles are.
Silky, creamy and studded with tiny bits of chopped dried blueberries, they can be served in individual paper cups or packed in cellophane bags tied with a ribbon to gift. The truffles can also be made ahead of time and keep well for weeks in the refrigerator making them a great make-ahead recipe.
The inspiration for the additions of blueberries came from an incredible flourless chocolate cake I’d recently eaten at a local patisserie. The cake was a rich torte with a thick, fudge-like interior similar to a dense souffle that came with the unexpected surprise of tiny little blueberries in each silky bite. The combination of the rich, dark chocolate and blueberries was memorable and I was eager to recreate it in truffle form.
Chocolate truffles start with ganache. Ganache is simply an emulsion of chocolate and cream to which flavorings are added. It is the ratio of cream to chocolate that determines the consistency of the ganache and what it is used for. An equal ratio of chocolate to cream (by weight) is considered a ganache of medium consistency, 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream is considered a ganache of firm consistency, and soft ganaches have more than 50 percent cream.
For the centers of these truffles, I made a medium-hard ganache - utilizing more chocolate than cream to produce a somewhat dense filling that would firm up just enough to hold its shape for rolling truffles.
Heavy cream is heated with finely chopped dried blueberries and a touch of honey. The hot cream and blueberries are then poured over the finely chopped chocolate, and left to sit for a minute to start melting and bring down the temperature of the mixture to allow for better emulsification. After the resting period they are gently stirred together in a slow, circular motion from the inside of the bowl towards the edges until silky and smooth and very soft butter is incorporated to the mixture to increase the butterfat percentage and add richness to the filling. The result is rich and intense with chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Blueberry Truffles Recipe
Chocolate truffles flavored with blueberries and a touch of honey.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids)
- ¼ tsp fleur de sel
- ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons (150 ml) heavy cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)
- ½ cup (92g) finely chopped dried blueberries
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) honey
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) softened unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (it’s important that the butter be very soft)
- Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate as finely as possible to allow it to melt quickly and easily. Place the chopped chocolate and fleur de sel in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, finely chopped dried blueberries and honey and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand undisturbed for about 1 minute to begin melting the chocolate. Using a spatula, gently stir the mixture from the center outwards mix until all of the hot cream is incorporated and the ganache is homogenous.
- Whisk in the soft butter one piece at a time until incorporated. The ganache should be slightly thick and shiny. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the ganache until set, about 2 to 3 hours. As it cools, it will firm and thicken; it should be firm, but soft enough to scoop out and roll into balls.
- Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator and using a melon baller or small scoop, scoop up a scant tablespoonful of ganache for each truffle. Roll each portion into a round in the palm of your hand and place onto a parchment lined sheet. Put the formed truffles in the fridge for about 15 minutes or until firm.
- Sift enough cacao powder to coat the bottom of a shallow plate or pie pan. Toss each truffle in the cocoa powder so that it is well coated, then carefully toss the truffles between your hands to shake off the excess or roll the truffles around in a sieve to shake off the extra cocoa.
- The truffles can be served immediately or can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Serve the truffles at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
24Amount Per Serving: Calories: 7Cholesterol: 1mgCarbohydrates: 1gSugar: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Barbara | VinoLuciStyle says
Just beautiful; your photos convey so clearly the richness of this simple treat. And what a fun idea; I've enjoyed the invite and the treats from the shower!
sippitysup says
I sense you are a truffle fan! Them are some inspired words... GREG
bhavani@ameanderingmango says
What a beautiful blog Sylvie! I already love your photos on flickr but you have so many great recipes too. Thanks for sharing!
Priscilla - She's Cookin' says
Absolutely the most luscious truffles I've ever seen! What a beautiful way to celebrate with Amanda.
Lael Hazan @educatedpalate says
What a delightful post! Especially when we are caught up in the tulmut of world wide chaos it is great to remember that life goes on and that joy is brought into the world. I love this idea of a babyshower.
Hmn... what would I bring? Well... as my oldest daughter is still on her red velvet cake mission (this week she is making it with beet juice), I guess I'd bring that.
Sylvia says
I had no made chocolate truffles since I moved to Argentina,but you tempt me . Last week I made a lot of Brigadeiros, a kind of condensed milk and chocolate truffles.
Lisa says
I just finished making a double batch of these truffles to take to my cousin's house tonight. Of course, I had to set aside a few for myself. These are by far the best truffles I have ever made. The combination of dark chocolate and the flavorful dried berries is wonderful. I used a 65% chocolate that I found at Trader Joe's (and I also got the blueberries there for much less than I would have paid at our local grocery store). Even though I doubled the recipe, I only used a little over 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. The salt definitely added something. I cannot wait to try other flavors, but the blueberry is unique and very tasty.
Sylvie says
That's great Lisa, I'm so happy you liked them. I use the chocolate and dried berries from Trader Joe's all the time, they have great stuff. The salt is definitely "to taste", you can leave it out completely or just add a pinch, whatever amount you like is just perfect. I think that dried cherries would also be a good choice for these. I hope everyone enjoys them tonight!
Aldy says
Hi Sylvie, These Chocolate truffles look absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Have a great weekend,
Aldy.
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy says
How did I miss this post? I think its time to subscribe to your blog.
Twitter is not dependable any more 🙂
This is just so beautiful Sylvie.You are a star when it comes to writing and a perfectionist when it come to taking pictures.I love love the ease with which truffles can be done in no time.And using dried berries is a brilliant idea.What sharp pictures Sylvie...I can almost see the texture of cocoa powder.
Have a nice weekend my friend.