Pearl & Ribbon Truffles

It's up to you.

12 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Prepare the ingredients and the dish

   Weigh the 250 g of dark chocolate and chop them with a knife into small regular pieces on a board. Put them in a clean and perfectly dry bowl. Cut the 30 g of butter into small cubes and leave them next to it; measure the 150 ml of whipping cream in a small saucepan. Prepare a shallow dish to cool the ganache, two small spoons and a baking sheet.

2. Heat the cream without letting it overflow

   Place the cream pan on medium heat and watch it without moving away. Stir once or twice with a spatula; when small bubbles appear all around, remove the pan from the heat. The cream should be warm, but should not boil to large broths or reduce. Place the pan on a side dish before pouring.

3. Start the ganache in the center of the bowl

   Pour about a third of the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and wait 30 seconds. With a spatula, mix by making small circles in the center of the bowl, then gradually expand them. Chocolate will first form a thick paste: this is normal. Avoid the whisk, which would incorporate bubbles into the truffles.

4. Add the rest of the cream twice

   Pour a second third of the cream and continue to gently stir in the center until the mixture becomes homogeneous again. Add the last third and scrapes the bottom and walls. You must get a smooth and shiny ganache, without visible pieces; if there are any left, put the bowl a few seconds above a pot of hot water, without contact with water, and stir off the heat.

5. Add 30 g of butter

   Wait until the ganache is lukewarm, around 35 to 40 °C, then add the butter cubes. Mix with the spatula for 1 to 2 minutes until they disappear completely. Pour the ganache into the shallow dish and spread it 2 to 3 cm thick; a thin layer cools more regularly than a deep bowl.

6. Firm for 3 hours

   Cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. At the end of the rest, a spoon should be able to take a firm portion that keeps its shape, without being liquid. If the ganache is still too soft, prolong the cold by 20 to 30 minutes; if it is too hard to be taken, leave it for 5 to 10 minutes on the worktop, without heating it.

7. Divide into 24 regular servings

   Using two small spoons, take 24 portions of about 18 g and place them on the baking paper. A scale facilitates sharing, but it is enough that the portions are of close size. Scrape the dish and distribute the last crumbs of ganache between portions; keep hands cool and work half the lot at a time if the room is hot.

8. Form the bites and prepare the cocoa

   Pour the 40 g of unsweetened cocoa into a hollow plate. Roll each serving of ganache a few seconds between your clean palms, then put it on paper. If the chocolate starts to stick, wash and dry your hands and then cool the portions for 10 minutes. Do not look for a perfectly smooth surface: the ganache must remain cold and melting.

9. Wrap the cocoa balls

   Roll each ball in the 40 g of prepared cocoa, with two small spoons rather than by shaking it in the hand. Lift it up and pat it gently against a spoon to remove the loose powder, then lay it on the paper. The remaining cocoa constitutes the surplus of the coating bath; does not seek to make everything adhere. Put the 24 truffles back in the fridge 10 minutes before the decor.

10. Prepare the chocolate ribbons

    Chop 70 g of white chocolate and put them in a small, perfectly dry bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan containing a little hot water, keeping the bowl clear of the water. Melt over a very low heat, stirring. Remove the bowl when the chocolate has almost melted and stir off the heat until smooth. Wipe the bottom of the bowl; no drop of water should fall into the chocolate. Let it cool so that it does not melt the cold ganache. Pour the warm chocolate into a small baking paper cone or piping bag, fold up the top and cut an opening of 1 to 2 mm. Try the flow on a piece of paper before tracing on the cookies; press gently and regularly, keeping the tip just above the surface.

11. Draw two crossed strips by truffle

    On a truffle laid flat, trace a strip of white chocolate from the top to the bottom of the dome, then a second perpendicular to the first. These two thick lines form a cross; stop near the base without trying to decorate the underside. Repeat the 24 truffles by distributing the 70 g of chocolate. Let it take 20 minutes to cool, until the mixture reaches the ribbon stages no longer mark to the light touch.

12. Allow to be taken and served

    Lay 18 open arc truffles on a large dish, then arrange the last six near the center to suggest a pendant. All remain on the plate: do not stick them between them and do not stack them. Take them out of the fridge 10 minutes before tasting; keep the others in a cold-closed box and serve any frozen chocolate drops next to them.