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November Recipe Contest

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Chocolate Making 101 CORRECTION January 1, 2012

Chocolate Making 101

Chocolate making blogs will be up on January 1, 2012


We will be covering the following:

• How to procure chocolate, molds, equipment
• How to temper chocolate
• How to make fillings
• How to enrobe Chocolates

If you have any questions prior to January 1, please email me at contest@karolinacacao.com

How do you make Artisan Chocolates at Home?

Artisan Chocolate Making

June 20th Karolina will be writing about how to make beautiful artisan chocolates at home.

What's in the flavor?

Deeper Flavor, Better Quality

Nearly 91 percent of respondents in Mintel’s consumer survey indicated that they like some type of chocolate, either milk, dark or white. Overall, most people favor milk chocolate, but in the specialty food market, darker varieties are popular. Older age groups are more likely to purchase dark chocolate, perhaps because it is an acquired, stronger taste.

Among specialty consumers, the level of quality is even more important than the type of chocolate. Shoppers are well-versed in cocoa content, clean labels and Fair Trade cocoa bean sources. Many confectioners are clearly labeling cocoa percentages on their bars, says Art Mart’s Ballard, whose health- and flavor-conscious customers look to that information as a designation of high quality.

“What's happening to chocolate now is what happened to specialty coffee,” notes Brad van Dam, president and CEO of Marich Confectionery, Hollister, Calif. “Twenty years ago, no one knew what Kenyan coffee was, but now everyone does. People are getting more interested in the specifics and looking for a greater experience with their chocolate just as they did with coffee.”

Fran’s Chocolates, a Seattle-based artisan chocolate maker, has reworked its 22-year-old truffle line to intensify flavor quality. Sean Seedlock, vice president of marketing, says, “We are going more into a darker, deeper flavor. We’re not relying on alcohol as much for flavor. For example, in a coffee truffle, we are focusing on the quality of the coffee and cream rather than relying on Kahlua.” The company is still using alcohol but “in ways where it makes sense, where it creates a richer taste,” notes Seedlock.


Chocolatier Jacques Torres aims to incorporate consumer tastes on an almost instantaneous level in order to ensure quality. In both his Brooklyn factory/shop and new 8,000-square-foot location in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, Torres depends on immediate feedback to test new flavors. Because he’s making chocolate on the premises, he can create a batch in the morning, have customers respond in the afternoon and modify the recipe accordingly for the next day.

His new Willy Wonka-esque location, Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven, which is slated to open in November, will educate and entertain. Customers see how cocoa beans become fresh, hand-crafted chocolate bars. “My goal is to give people more knowledge about the chocolate process—and to make it possible to learn it when buying a bar of chocolate,” says Torres.

The West Coast Chocolate Festival!

The West Coast Chocolate Festival

runs annually from October 15th to November 10th. Opening with Panache, October 15, at the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside, over 160 events continue through until November 10. Join us November 7th, at the Port Moody Galleria, with a Chocolate Reception, Chocolate History and afternoon of entertainment, food, beverages and family fun. Mackin Heritage House and Toy Museum, Coquitlam, is Chocolate Festival Headquarters - with a chocolate themed event every afternoon, and most evenings.

What is the West Coast Chocolate Festival?

First launched in 2002, the West Coast Chocolate Festival is a unique and innovative collection of individual high calibre chocolate-themed adult and all-ages events that occurred throughout the Tri-Cities area of Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam. In 2009, the festival expanded to Burnaby and Vancouver, then expanding across the Lower Mainland in 2010. Reflecting emerging trends such as culinary tourism, experiential travel, small affordable indulgences and a rapidly increasing appreciation of the healthy benefits of good chocolate, festival events celebrate the magic of chocolate and appeal to the senses and the soul while attracting guests from surrounding cities, the BC Lower Mainland and beyond. With chocolate as a powerful draw, the festival leverages events to bring people of all ages and cultures together, to raise awareness about proper consumption and lesser-known positive benefits of the incredibly appealing food, and most importantly, to create valuable opportunities for youth mentorship in the local community.






Festival Director, Dawn Donahue, says "This not-for-profit festival remains an ambitious, dynamic, volunteer-driven operation dedicated to providing work and mentorship experiences for youth while showcasing emerging talent in the local arts and chocolate industries. The Festival offers something for everyone, and upholds the idea that adults want to support youth. At the West Coast Chocolate Festival people support youth and the arts - by just showing up for chocolate".

Hershey: Cocoa polyphenols show weight management potential

Hershey: Cocoa polyphenols show weight management potential


Post a commentBy Stephen Daniells, 05-May-2011




Extracts from cocoa may block carbohydrate and lipid breakdown in the gut, and aid weight management, says a new study from Hershey.


The 1st report that cocoa polyphenols may aid weight management

Scientists from the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition and the Pennsylvania State University report that polyphenols from cocoa inhibited various digestive enzymes in a dose-dependent manner, meaning the more consumed, the greater the effect.


“The present study provides the first evidence that cocoa extracts and cocoa procyanidins are potent inhibitors of key enzymes in the digestion of carbohydrates and lipids in vitro, and these inhibitory activities are related to polyphenol content in cocoa extracts,” wrote the authors in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

If supported by additional research, the findings suggest that cocoa polyphenols may find a role in the burgeoning weight management market, already estimated to be worth $7bn (€5.2bn) worldwide.

With 50 per cent of Europeans and 62 per cent of Americans classed as overweight, the food industry is waking up to the potential of products for weight loss and management.

Market breakdown
The slimming ingredients market can be divided into six groups based on the mechanisms of action - boosting fat burning/ thermogenesis, inhibiting protein breakdown, suppressing appetite/ boosting satiety (feeling of fullness), blocking fat absorption, carbohydrate blocking, and regulating mood (linked to food consumption).


Cocoa’s benefits
The health benefits of polyphenols from cocoa have been gathering increasing column inches in the national media. To date studies have reported potential benefits for cardiovascular health, skin health, and even brain health.
The majority of science into the potential benefits of cocoa have revolved around cardiovascular benefits of the flavanols (also known as flavan-3-ols or catechins), and particularly the monomeric flavanol (-)epicatechin.


Study details
Led by Penn State’s Joshua Lambert, the researchers tested how cocoa extracts could affect the activity of enzymes associated with the digestion of fat and carbohydrates, including pancreatic lipase, secreted phospholipase A2, and pancreatic alpha-amylase.

Three types of cocoa were tested: A cocoa extract that underwent regular processing; an extract that underwent minimal processing (also called Lavado) that is high in flavanols; and an extract that underwent minimal processing (also called Dutch-processed) that is low in flavanols.

“Among three cocoa extracts, lavado (meaning ‘washed’ in Spanish) cocoa undergoes the least processing (without fermentation or Dutch-processing), and this extract exerted the highest inhibitory activity against all three digestive enzymes,” report the researchers.

“By contrast, the Dutch-processed or alkali-treated cocoa, which is the most highly processed, showed the least inhibitory effect against the enzymes tested.

“Because it is expected that the lavado cocoa extract is the highest in polyphenols and flavanols, followed by the regular cocoa extract, and the least would be found in the Dutch-processed cocoa extract, these results suggest that the inhibitory effects of cocoa extracts are related to their polyphenol content,” they added.

The researchers said that additional in vitro studies would examine if enzyme inhibition activity of the polyphenol-rich cocoa extracts would be related to other metabolic effects and whether such effects would be achievable at doses observed from the diet.


Cocoa is not chocolate

In a recent review led by Gary Williamson from the University of Leeds but with the Nestlé Research Center at the time of the review, it was explained that: “Chocolate and cocoa are two different terms and are not interchangeable.


“Cocoa is the non-fat component of cocoa liquor (finely ground cocoa beans) which is used in chocolate making or as cocoa powder (commonly 12 per cent fat) for cooking and drinks.

“Cocoa liquor contains approximately 55 per cent cocoa butter and together this comprises cocoa solids, often referred to on chocolate packaging. Chocolate refers to the combination of cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, etc. into a solid food product,” added the reviewers.



Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
“Inhibition of Key Digestive Enzymes by Cocoa Extracts and Procyanidins”

Authors: Y. Gu, W.J. Hurst, D.A. Stuart, J.D. Lambert

VDAY PROMO FOR BLOGGERS!

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Petit French Macarons

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Chocolate Rounds



MACARONS VS MACAROONS?

What are Macarons/Macaroons? Most Americans are familiar with the coconut macaroon. I found the Macaron (with one o) in Paris all over the city. I would compare the popularity to the chocolate chip cookie of the USA. Both delicious, but very different. What is your experience with the discovery of the French Macaron?

MACARONS


Dating back to the 18th century, the macaron is a traditional French pastry, made of egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar and sugar. This sweet pastry came out of the French courts' baker's oven as round meringue-like domes with a flat base. Macarons, also anglicized "macaroons", are not to be confused with a similar pastry also called macaroons. Macarons are sandwich-like pastries made with two thin cookies and a cream or ganache between the cookies. Macaroons, on the other hand, are dense cookies made either with coconut or with a coarse almond paste. Macarons come in a wide variety of flavors varying by store and season; ranging from traditional to exotic. At the Versailles Court in Paris, members of the Dalloyau family, whose descendants later founded the gastronomy house of the same name, served macarons to royalty in the then ruling House of Bourbon. In the 1830s macarons were served two-by-two with the addition of jams, liqueurs, and spices. The macaron known today is the "Gerbet" macaron, born in the 1880s in the Beleville neighbourhood of Paris. The double-decker macaron filled with cream that is popular today was invented by the French pâtisserie Ladurée.




MACAROONS


Macaroons are sweet foods made either with coconut and egg white or with a coarse almond paste formed into a dense cookie or confection. They are often confused (due to the very similar spelling) with the French Macarons which are entirely different in appearance. The English word macaroon comes not from the French macaron, but from the word maccarone, regionally used in Italy to refer to maccherone (kind of pasta, with a hole and a larger diameter than bucatini) - because almond macaroon paste is the same colour as macaroni pasta. Macaroon cookie biscuits often use egg whites (usually whipped to stiff peaks), with ground or powdered nuts, most commonly coconut but sometimes almond. Almost all recipes call for sugar, which caramelizes and provides body and a smooth, moist texture to the macaroon. If the coconut or other fabric used is very sweet, however, the sugar may be omitted. Macaroons are commonly baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray. A coconut macaroon is a type of macaroon most commonly found in the United States, although invented in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland. It is a conventional macaroon with a distinct coconut flavor and containing shredded dried coconut. They tend to be closer to a soft cookie than their meringue cousins, and about as sweet. Increasingly, coconut macaroons are dipped in chocolate, typically milk chocolate. Versions dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate are also becoming more commonly available. Nuts are often added to coconut macaroons, typically almond slivers, but occasionally pecans, cashews or other nuts. In Australia, a blob of raspberry jam is often concealed in the centre of the macaroon prior to cooking.

YIKES IT IS COOOOOLD! ANYONE FOR HOT CHOCOLATE?

When it is cold it is time to break out the hot chocolate.  Here is a Mayan recipe to give you a little happy in your lock down of winter.

Mayan Hot Chocolate


6 cups water or milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 ounces Karolina chocolate rounds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

Stick cinnamon (for optional garnish)



In a large saucepan, combine milk, sugar, chocolate, ground cinnamon, and salt. Heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the milk is very hot. (Do not let the milk come to a boil.) Cook 2 to 3 minutes more over low heat, still stirring. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Beat with a Karolina molinillo (frother) or a rotary beater until it is very frothy. Pour into mugs, garnish with cinnamon sticks, and serve.


Makes about 6 (8-ounce) servings.

AN OUNCE A DAY KEEPS THE STRESS AWAY!

It's true, eating an ounce of 70% cacao or higher can affect your health in a positive way.

EVERYDAY? FANTABULOUS!

70% CACAO

Uses:  Molding, Enrobing,

Filling, Mousse,

Ganache, Glazes,

Sauces, Sorbets,

Chocolate, Beverage,

Ice Cream & Tasting!

Dark chocolate: "Recent studies show that eating dark chocolate may lower blood pressure as effectively as the most common antihypertensive medications and may increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. Interesting fact: The Kuna Indians, who live on islands near Panama, have little age-related hypertension. They drink more than five cups of flavonoid-rich cocoa a day."

YOU: Staying Young by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. Copyright © 2007 by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Oz Works LLC, f/s/o Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. Reprinted by permission of Free Press, a Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc.



















SCONES DE CACAO.......

gOOd mOrning!

 CACAO SCONES

Makes 8 scones
For a breakfast treat, afternoon pick-me-up or a double chocolate dessert serve these with a cup of steaming Drinking Chocolate (see Karolinacacao.com for Mayan Hot Chocolate)

Ingredients
1⅔ cups unsifted all-purpose flour

⅔ cup 58%Cacao

2 teaspoons baking powder

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup sweetened dried cranberries

⅔ cup milk

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon coarse sugar


Directions
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking pan with parchment.
Combine flour, 58% Cacao and baking powder in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, processing until uniform. Cut butter into 5 slices and blend into dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add cranberries and milk and pulse until the ingredients come together. Transfer to lightly floured surface and with floured hands form into a 9-10 inch circle about 1-inch thick. Brush top with milk and evenly sprinkle with sugar. Cut into 8 wedges. Bake 12-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe by



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MEESES & MICES & MOUSSES, OH MY!

If you have ever had mousse you know how easy it is to eat a large amount.  Back in the day I was a food server with a chocolate mousse addiction.  They put mini chocolate chips inside and I love crunchy, soooo.....

This mousse is made with DARK chocolate so it will be very intense and hopefully you can stop at one!

DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients

• 14 oz. EL REY Apamate Dark 73.5%
• 5 oz egg yolks
• 2 oz eggs
• 5 oz sugar
• 2 oz water
• 18 oz cream

Directions

Melt chocolate to 110 degrees and set aside.

Prepare the "pate a bombe" mixture by beating the eggs and yolks on medium speed until thick.

Cook the sugar and water to firm ball stage (245 degrees). Pour cooked sugar over whipped egg mixture while whisking at medium speed until cool.

Whip cream to light, soft peaks in a separate mixing bowl, taking care not to over-whip.

Fold about ¼ cup of the cream into the melted chocolate.


Fold the "pate a bombe mixture into the rest of the cream, taking care that the bombe mixture is not too warm or too cool. Carefully pour the warm, melted chocolate into this mixture, gently folding until incorporated.


Recipe by El Rey



CHOCOLATE BASS?

Chocolate & Bass?  All I can think of is the Bass O Matic from SNL in the 70s, but this recipe blends flavors unlike the great D. Akyroyd.



This recipe was created by Barry Callebaut one of the best chocolates used by Chocolatiers.

BASS IN SEA SALT WITH DARK CHOCOLATE

Bass
Ingredients

± 3 kg coarse sea salt

30 g satay powder (see below for location to purchase)

4 cl olive oil

4 pieces of bass fillet with skin, each 170 g



Preparation

Fill a baking tray with the sea salt.

Sprinkle with water and bake for 1 minute at 250°C until it becomes a hard 'board'.

Keep warm.

Mix the satay spices with the oil.

Spread the skin side of the fish with this spiced oil.

Lay the bass fillet onto the board of salt and cook under the grill (4-7 minutes, depending on the thickness). The underside cooks on the warm board of salt, the top side under the grill.


Sauce

Ingredients

15 g sugar

3 cl young balsamic vinegar

7.5 cl veal stock (not concentrated, unsalted)

7.5 cl port

40 g butter

20 g dark chocolate



Preparation

Reduce the sugar and the balsamic vinegar until it becomes sirupy.

Add the veal stock and the port.

Reduce to 1/3.

Finish the sauce with butter and the chocolate.

Season with pepper (and salt if so desired).


Pumpkin purée

Ingredients

300 g de-seeded ripe pumpkin flesh

40 g butter



Preparation

Cook the pumpkin.

Leave it to dry so that as much of the water evaporates.

Press through a sieve.

Beat up the pumpkin purée with butter.

Season with salt and pepper.

Finishing and presentation

Pipe a turret of pumpkin purée onto each plate.

Put the bass on the plate and draw a few sauce lines along.

If desired, serve with a few thin and crispy fried slices of taro or potato.

Satay Powder 70g


Serves 4 persons

RECIPE BY

SATAY POWDER

(Made here at Spice World, this satay powder is of medium heat with an aromatic flavour. Consisting of coriander, lemon grass, cardamom, galangal, star anise, turmeric, chilli powder and sesame seed. Coat kg. of cubed chicken or beef with 2 tbsp. of satay powder and stand for half an hour. Fry garlic and onion, add chicken and coconut milk for a basic satay curry. Be adventerous and add fresh lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves, along with snow peas to your dish)

SPICE WORLD .COM $3.50



CHOCOLATE CHERRY BROWNIES!!!!

There are so many ingredients that make this so much richer and gooey than the typical brownie.  If I had this in a jar like a certain chocolate/hazelnut product I would probably need an intervention!  If you need to make someone jump and skip, gime them some of these brownies in a box with a ribbon and watch the entertainment.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BROWNIES

Ingredients
butter for greasing pan

2 cups / 10.5 oz / 300 g dried cherries

scant cup / 200 ml / 7 fl oz port wine

1/2 cup / 2 oz / 55g / whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup / 1.5 oz / 40 g unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

10.5 oz / 300g 58% dark chocolate rounds

5 1/2 tablespoons / 2 3/4 oz / 80g unsalted butter

2 cups / 10.5 oz / sifted muscovado sugar

4 large eggs

scant 1/2 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g creme fraiche or sour cream

1 cup / 5 oz / 145 g chocolate rounds

more cocoa powder, for dusting

A day or two before you want to bake the brownies, place the cherries in a medium bowl and pour over the port. Cover and set aside. Stir every twelve hours until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 325F / 170C and place a rack in the top third. Butter and line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch rectangular baking dish with parchment paper. An important step if you want to eventually get these brownies out of the pan. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.

Make a double boiler by placing a stainless steel bowl over a small pan of gently simmering water - the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Place the 10.5 oz / 300g of chocolate into this bowl along with the butter and sugar. Stir just until the chocolate has melted and the ingredients come together into a mass. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer and allow to cool (cool enough that it won't cook the eggs when you add them). Mix on slow and add the eggs, one at a time, letting each get incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula a couple times along the way. Add the flour mixture and stir by hand until combined, then add the creme fraiche, remaining chocolate rounds, and the cherries with the port. Stir until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour, or until just set. The center of the brownie should be set and not at all wobbly. Allow to cool completely in the pan. You can cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap at this point and the brownies will keep for a couple days. I recommend chilling before slicing if you want small, precise squares. Also keep a tall glass of warm water on hand to wash your knife between each cut. Enjoy at room temperature dusted with a bit of cocoa powder.

Makes one large pan of brownies.

Prep time: 900 min - Cook time: 60 min

ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE?

ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL CAKE



Recipe by Kim Boyce


"Rosemary Olive Oil Cake As Kim notes,you don't need to use a specialty olive oil for this cake. But if you have one with a lot of flavor, the cake will be that much better. This is one of those recipes where I think using regular sugar is the way to go. There was plenty going on with the interplay between the rosemary, chocolate, and olive oil - and I'm not sure adding less refined brown or Muscovado sugar would have been the way to go. The last note I'll make is to suggest chopping up a chocolate bar for this. It's just not going to be the same if you use uniform chocolate chips. Aim for big chunks 1/2-inch in diameter, you'll end up with all sorts of shavings and littler pieces as you are chopping, and having that mix of flecks and the big chunks is pretty great."


Olive oil for the pan

Dry ingredients:

3/4 cup / 3 oz / 80g spelt flour

1 1/2 cups / 7.5 oz / 210 g all-purpose flour

3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115g sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup / 240 ml olive oil

3/4 cup / 180 ml whole milk

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

5 ounces / 140 g bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons sugar for top crunch

Preheat the oven to 350F / 175C. Rub a 9 1/2-inch (24 cm) fluted tart pan with olive oil. Alternately, I used a long (4 1/2 x 13 inch) loaf pan, and lined it with parchment paper.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring any bits of grain or other ingredients left in the sifter back into the bowl. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Add the olive oil, milk and rosemary and whisk again. Using a spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry, gently mixing just until combined. Stir in 2/3 of the chocolate. Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate and run a fork along the length of the chocolate so that the batter envelops it just a bit. Sprinkle with the second sugar.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is domed, golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. My cake, in the alternate pan, took closer to 50 minutes. Also, just when my cake was nearly finished baking, I decided I wanted a bit more color on top. I finished it under the broiler for a minute - which caramelized the sugar on top as well and gave it a bit of crunch. Don't walk away from the cake while it is under the broiler.

The cake can be eaten warm or cool from the pan, or cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic, and kept for 2 days.

Serves 8 -12.

Recipe adapted from Good to the Grainby Kim Boyce.

Prep time: 15 min - Cook time: 45 min

DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!!!!!!

If you love ice cream, you are going to LOVE dark chocolate ice cream!  This recipe uses our SINGLE ORIGIN rounds with limited ingredients, so you taste the sugary cream and real chocolate.



DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Ingredients

• 6 ounces KAROLINA Dark 58.5% Chocolate
• 3 ounces cocoa powder
• 24 ounces milk
• 12 ounces heavy cream
• 12 ounces sugar
• 8 egg yolks

Directions

Add cocoa powder to chopped chocolate
and set aside.
In a saucepan, bring the milk, cream and half the sugar to a boil and remove from heat.
In a stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks and the remaining half of the sugar and then pour half of the hot milk mixture onto the yolks while whisking continuously.
Combine both mixtures in the saucepan and cook, while continuously stirring, to 185 degrees or when the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Pour over chocolate and cocoa powder and stir until all the chocolate has melted.
Pour mixture through a strainer to remove any unmelted bits of chocolate and cooked egg and allow to cool completely in an ice water bath before freezing.

Note: depending on the brand and characteristics of the cocoa powder you select, you may prefer to heat the cocoa powder with milk and cream mixture instead



WHERE'S THE CHOCOLATE?

Looking for a chocolate shop near you? The iPhone app has all things chocolate and even a map app to find a shop near your current location!  (Chocomap)

Find Chocolate! iPhone App



 

 

MILK CHOCOLATE & BOURBON TRUFFLES

HAPPY NEW YEAR!



What to do with all of the chocolate and bourbon you have left over from the Holidays?  Make these truffles and freeze for Valentines Day.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Milk 41% Chocolate
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbls. butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbls. bourbon
• 1 lb. milk chocolate, melted and tempered

Directions

Finely chop the milk chocolate.
Bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and add chocolate.
Whisk together until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
Add soft butter and bourbon to the chocolate mixture. Whisk together until combined (do not over mix). The ganache should be about the same temperature as the butter when you add the butter (do not add butter to a warm ganache).
Allow the ganache to harden. I normally allow the ganache to sit overnight before using it.
Scoop truffles with a melon baller. Fill the scoop 3/4 full for average size truffles.
Round each truffle between your palms. Chill slightly before dipping or rolling them.

Temper the chocolate:
Slowly melt 10 oz. milk chocolate in a double boiler. Melt over steaming but not simmering water.
Meanwhile, chop the remaining 6 oz. chocolate.
The temperature of the chocolate should reach 120 degrees (slightly hot to touch).
Remove chocolate from heat.
Add a handful of the chopped chocolate to the ganache.
Stir until the chocolate is melted.
Repeat this procedure.
Continue adding chopped chocolate and stirring until chocolate is beginning to set up around the edges of the bowl and the chocolate in the center of the bowl will harden within 1-1/1 minutes when it is tested by dipping a knife into it.
The chocolate is now ready to use. If there are any unmelted bits of chocolate in the bowl, move them to the side of the bowl.
Should the chocolate harden too much to use, place the bowl of chocolate over a pot of hot water just long enough to warm the chocolate (do not return the chocolate to direct heat).
For rolling the truffles:
Place a little of the tempered milk chocolate on each palm.
Dip a truffle into the chocolate (halfway or so) and roll the truffle between your palms until coated with chocolate.
Set the rolled truffle on a sheetpan lined with parchment paper to dry. If the chocolate is properly tempered and you are in a cool room, refrigeration should not be necessary. The chocolate should harden within 1-1/2 minutes. If it doesn't, the chocolate is too warm and not properly tempered.
Repeat this process. Each truffle should have two coats of chocolate.
Yield: 2 dozen medium-sized truffles.

Variations:
Dip the truffles in tempered milk chocolate. Use a dipping fork and remove as much excess chocolate as possible to avoid a "foot" at the base. The dipped truffles may be decorated with white chocolate by drizzling the white chocolate over the truffles or by using a parchment bag to pipe it in a design.
Roll the truffles (as explained above) and then dropping them into cocoa powder, ground nuts, or nibs, coating on all sides. This will change the appearance, texture, and flavor of the truffles.
To achive a spiky appearance, roll the truffles around on a wire rack after the second coating of chocolate.

NOTE: Ideally, chocolates should not be refrigerated. Moisture collects on the chocolate giving it an unattractive appearance and rendering it useless (in its pure form) for melting and reusing. Truffles can be refrigerated in adverse conditions but it is not recommended.