Raspberry Truffles

Total Time: 24 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam (preferably seedless)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 lbs chopped semisweet chocolate
• 6 ounces solid semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup cocoa (optional)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Recipe

• 1 melt 8 ounces of chocolate.
• 2 heat the butter and cream until the butter is melted and small bubbles form.
• 3 pour into a small bowl and stir in the chocolate.
• 4 whisk in the jam and lemon juice.
• 5 cover and refrigerate 60-90 minutes.
• 6 line a baking sheet with parchment.
• 7 spoon the mixture into mounds (about 2 teaspoons each).
• 8 refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm.
• 9 use the cornstarch to dust your hands, and roll the mixture into balls.
• 10 refrigerate overnight.
• 11 remove centers from the refrigerator to warm to room temperature before the next steps.
• 12 melt 1 1/2 pounds of chopped chocolate and temper as follows.
• 13 if the chocolate is dull, grainy, or blemished, heat to at least 115 degrees.
• 14 when the chocolate is nearly melted, stir to complete the melt.
• 15 let the chocolate cool to 100 degrees.
• 16 look at the chunk of solid chocolate- it should be smooth, dark, and glossy, without dullness or streaking.
• 17 submerge the 6 ounces of solid chocolate in the melted chocolate and stir until the chocolate cools to 90 degrees.
• 18 what this process does is isomerize the chocolate as it cools, so that the cooled shells will stay glossy and smooth, even in the refrigerator.
• 19 if the solid chunk is dull, streaky, or grained, it will have the opposite effect.
• 20 the taste will be the same, but tempering the chocolate makes the truffles much more attractive.
• 21 when the chocolate has cooled to 90 degrees, remove the chunk and save it for the next time you temper chocolate.
• 22 smear a thin sample of the melted chocolate on wax paper and refrigerate for 2 minutes.
• 23 the smear should cool glossy and smooth, and should break with a snap.
• 24 dip each truffle in chocolate; two forks seem to work the best for this (although i'd be interested in hearing anyone else's idea).
• 25 top the truffles with cocoa or nuts if desired; if you plan to do this, do each truffle as you dip them, because they solidify fairly quickly.
• 26 refrigerate until set.