The sweet, spicy and creamy taste of chai tea is a perfect foil for the rich milk chocolate at the heart of this delicious truffle.
By Peter Greweling
Peter P. Greweling | Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner | John Wiley & Sons, 2007
Yield: 120 truffles
Ingredients
6 oz. heavy cream
1/2 oz. chai tea blend
1 vanilla bean, scraped
Milk, as needed
2 oz. glucose syrup
1 lb. milk chocolate, unmelted, tempered, chopped
1 oz. butter, very soft
Milk chocolate, tempered (see instructions), for pre-coating – as needed
Dark chocolate, tempered, for dipping and filigree– as needed
Method
Combine the heavy cream with the tea and vanilla bean and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for five minutes.
Strain the tea and vanilla bean pod out of the cream using pre-moistened cheesecloth. Squeeze the tea in the cheesecloth to extract the maximum amount of liquid possible.
Return the cream to its original weight by adding milk.
Add the glucose syrup to the flavored cream mixture. Bring to the boil.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped milk chocolate and allow to sit for 60 seconds, to allow the chocolate to melt.
Using a spoon, stirrer, or spatula, stir the mixture in vigorous small circles in the center of the bowl until it emulsifies.
Stir outward in larger circles to spread the emulsion throughout the bowl, checking to see that all the chocolate has melted. If neccesary, place the ganache over a warm water bath (not exceeding 94°F) to melt the chocolate.
Massage the butter into the ganache, taking care that no lumps of butter remain unincorporated.
Pour the ganache into a hotel pan, covering the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ganache.
Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature until slightly firm, and of a plastic consistency. This may take one hour, depending on the ambient temperature. Agitate the ganache lightly by placing it on a marble slab and working it gently to induce crystalization.
Pipe truffles using a No. 4 round tip. Allow to crystalize at room temperature until firm enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
Roll the piped truffles by hand into round balls.
Precoat the truffles in the milk chocolate by hand-dipping.
Dip the precoated truffles in the milk chocolate using a round fork.
Allow the chocolate to set fully. Using a paper cone, filigree with four stripes of tempered dark chocolate.
Chocolates and Confections © 2007 Peter P. Greweling. Photo © John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.