Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles
As you may have deduced from reading my LJ posts, my cooking inspiration style can best be described as magpie-like ... ooh, shiny, must make, repeat ad infinitum. :)
Therefore, even though I was going to make, or at least ATTEMPT to make, matcha macarons this weekend, I just spotted Sissi's guest post of her "Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles" (check out her blog, With a Glass) on Nami's blog Just One Cookbook. Plus, making the truffles took less than half an hour, not counting refrigeration time.
Of course, I couldn't just make the recipe that had been posted. I had to do some research and decided to make this version instead. I hoped that reducing the amount of whipping cream and substituting the fat in it with unsalted butter would help firm up the truffles. It didn't ... but the truffles, which should be kept in the refrigerator until seconds before you serve them, were still delicious.
Again, I wish I had a camera to show off my masterpieces. I even bought a square white serving dish to put them on. :)
Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles - makes 18 truffles (ok, there were 19 but I ate one)
6 oz white chocolate chips** or chopped white chocolate
5 tbsp (2.5 oz) unsalted butter
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream (36% butterfat
pinch salt
1 tsp matcha powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar, to coat
** The 1 cup white chocolate chips used weighed 200 gms
Place the butter and whipping cream in a microwave safe container or measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on high to scald the cream. You can also scald your cream and butter mixture in a saucepan on the stove.
In another bowl, measure out the matcha powder, salt and white chocolate chips.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chips are melted and the mixture is an even green colour. This is your "ganache".
Pour ganache into a container with an airtight lid or a bowl and lay a sheet of cling wrap (Saran wrap) on the surface and refrigerate until firm (3 hrs or overnight).
Using 2 teaspoons or a small candy scoop, scoop out enough ganache to form small 1” balls. (Work quickly as about half way through the scooping, the mixture got quite soft and had to be refrigerated again.) Roll the balls in ground almonds, unsweetened coconut or good quality cocoa powder and place on a plate lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until firm again.
Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and serve straight from the fridge.
Trial 1: I used miniature white chocolate chips as I had them in my pantry for a matcha and white chocolate cookie recipe that I intend to make ... one of these days. :)
My busy little brain is thinking of what my next truffle will be: rum and raisin dark chocolate truffles, cranberry and white chocolate truffles are at the top of the list since I have about a tablespoon of rum left in my pantry and cranberries left over from the Christmas slice I made a while back (white chocolate bark with rice crispies ). I'll post my recipe if desired.
ETA: 10 pm ET, I've got a load of laundry in the washing machine and another in the dryer and I'm busy chopping dark chocolate (77% cocoa solids) while the finely chopped raisins are soaking in rum. An hour later, the last batch of laundry is in the dryer and the ganache for the rum and raisin truffles is in the fridge solidifying. Haven't decided what I'm going to roll them in when they're scooped tomorrow. I don't think I want to use unsweetened cocoa powder and am iffy on ground nuts or coconut. Icing sugar is a possibility but I'm not excited by the idea. No hurry as the ganache will wait on my final decision.
Therefore, even though I was going to make, or at least ATTEMPT to make, matcha macarons this weekend, I just spotted Sissi's guest post of her "Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles" (check out her blog, With a Glass) on Nami's blog Just One Cookbook. Plus, making the truffles took less than half an hour, not counting refrigeration time.
Of course, I couldn't just make the recipe that had been posted. I had to do some research and decided to make this version instead. I hoped that reducing the amount of whipping cream and substituting the fat in it with unsalted butter would help firm up the truffles. It didn't ... but the truffles, which should be kept in the refrigerator until seconds before you serve them, were still delicious.
Again, I wish I had a camera to show off my masterpieces. I even bought a square white serving dish to put them on. :)
Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles - makes 18 truffles (ok, there were 19 but I ate one)
6 oz white chocolate chips** or chopped white chocolate
5 tbsp (2.5 oz) unsalted butter
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream (36% butterfat
pinch salt
1 tsp matcha powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar, to coat
** The 1 cup white chocolate chips used weighed 200 gms
Place the butter and whipping cream in a microwave safe container or measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on high to scald the cream. You can also scald your cream and butter mixture in a saucepan on the stove.
In another bowl, measure out the matcha powder, salt and white chocolate chips.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chips are melted and the mixture is an even green colour. This is your "ganache".
Pour ganache into a container with an airtight lid or a bowl and lay a sheet of cling wrap (Saran wrap) on the surface and refrigerate until firm (3 hrs or overnight).
Using 2 teaspoons or a small candy scoop, scoop out enough ganache to form small 1” balls. (Work quickly as about half way through the scooping, the mixture got quite soft and had to be refrigerated again.) Roll the balls in ground almonds, unsweetened coconut or good quality cocoa powder and place on a plate lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until firm again.
Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and serve straight from the fridge.
Trial 1: I used miniature white chocolate chips as I had them in my pantry for a matcha and white chocolate cookie recipe that I intend to make ... one of these days. :)
My busy little brain is thinking of what my next truffle will be: rum and raisin dark chocolate truffles, cranberry and white chocolate truffles are at the top of the list since I have about a tablespoon of rum left in my pantry and cranberries left over from the Christmas slice I made a while back (white chocolate bark with rice crispies ). I'll post my recipe if desired.
ETA: 10 pm ET, I've got a load of laundry in the washing machine and another in the dryer and I'm busy chopping dark chocolate (77% cocoa solids) while the finely chopped raisins are soaking in rum. An hour later, the last batch of laundry is in the dryer and the ganache for the rum and raisin truffles is in the fridge solidifying. Haven't decided what I'm going to roll them in when they're scooped tomorrow. I don't think I want to use unsweetened cocoa powder and am iffy on ground nuts or coconut. Icing sugar is a possibility but I'm not excited by the idea. No hurry as the ganache will wait on my final decision.