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Indulgent Chocolate Creations

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Top tips for indulgent chocolate truffles

The origin of the truffle
It’s up for debate as to who invented the chocolate truffle but most agree that whoever did
was inspired by the rustic, uneven shape of the black truffle fungus which is widely used in
French cookery and one of the most expensive raw ingredients available. Today truffles are
claimed by the Belgian, Swiss and French as their own, with each country adding its own
unique interpretation.

What is ganache?
A ganache is a simple mixture of chocolate and cream. It’s a wonderfully versatile chocolate
creation that can be used as the filling or icing for cakes and other baked goods or rolled
into a shape to form the centre of a truffle. Once you’ve got the basic technique under your

belt, it’s easy to vary the end result by tweaking the cream to chocolate ratio or adding
interesting ingredients to give more flavour and texture.

The role of liquid glucose in ganache
Liquid glucose is a sugar substitute that plays a very important role in chocolate and

confectionery. When combined with the cream and chocolate, it makes the ganache flexible
and prevents it from drying out and becoming brittle.

Glucose is unbelievably sticky to work with. To avoid the mess and fuss, use this clever
technique: line a small container with clingfilm or plastic wrap. Place the container onto a

scale, pour in the glucose and take the measurement. Wrap the plastic with glucose into a
little pouch and hold it over the pot of warm cream. Pinch a hole at the bottom of the plastic
and squeeze the glucose out. And there you have it. No more sticky business.

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