Valentine's Plannig Query - Cupid needs an assist

B

bklyn-joe

Active member
Am planning a first Valentine's Day with my current partner. One gift will be the usual heart-shaped box but to be different I intend to fill it with these chocolate cherries I had once and some truffles I will make myself.

Two Needs:

1. I had these AMAZING chocolate-covered liquor-soaked cherries once. They were from Austria, Germany or Switzerland. I saved the name somewhere but cannot find it now to save my life. I think Beethoven or Motzart was on the packaging - but definitely a white-wigged 18th (?) century European aristocrat. Can anyone help me find them or a ggod 2nd choice?

2. Need a T&T truffle recipe (preferably one that can take some added alcohol - but not necessary). I know there are different options (cream or butter for added fat) and am open to hearing pointers on the difference each make.

Any nugget of info (pun intended) is welcome. smileys/smile.gif

 
REC: Ghirardelli Sinful Chocolate Truffles - These are great, and use both heavy cream and butter.

I added a little vanilla extract, so you can certainly add some liqueur instead. Also, I used a different method, (melted first three ingredients together over a double boiler), used the listed amounts for the chocolate and butter, and substituted half & half for the cream.

GHIRARDELLI SINFUL CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 bars (8 ounces total) bittersweet chocolate baking bars, broken in 1/4-inch pieces (recommended: Ghirardelli) (I used 60%)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa (I used Dutch Processed)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and butter. In a medium sized skillet, bring 1/2 inch of water to a slow simmer. Set the saucepan in the skillet over low heat. Stir mixture just until chocolate has completely melted. Remove from heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow bowl. Cool, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Pour the cocoa into a pie plate. Line an airtight container with waxed paper. Dip a melon baller or small spoon into a glass of warm water and quickly scrape across the surface of the chilled truffle mixture to form a rough 1-inch ball. Drop the ball into the cocoa. Repeat with the remaining truffle mixture. Gently shake the pie plate to coat truffles evenly. Transfer truffles to the prepared container, separating layers with additional waxed paper. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months.

Yield: 30 truffles

Recipe courtesy Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Show: Food Network Challenge
Episode: Chocolate Festival Fantasies

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26147,00.html

 
These two were my favourite home-made truffles (when I still made them) ...

Cappuccino Truffles

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1/4 cup evaporated milk

For coating:
4 oz. white chocolate, melted

Melt together semisweet chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and beat until blended. Add instant coffee and evaporated milk. Chill until set.

Roll into about 20 balls. Freeze for at least 1 hour.

Dip frozen truffles into melted white chocolate. Remove quickly to prevent dark chocolate melting into white. Chill until ready to serve.



White Chocolate Ginger Truffles

People always liked these--a nice change from the usual dark chocolate. You can also coat in dark chocolate, though I never did.

1/4 cup heavy cream
6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. candied ginger, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. preserved ginger, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. preserved ginger syrup

For coating:
6 oz. white chocolate, melted
Candied ginger, finely chopped

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chocolate and stir to melt. Add candied ginger, preserved ginger, and syrup. Stir well. Pour into a bowl and freeze until firm (about 30 minutes).

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and dust with icing sugar. Spoon 16 mounds (about 1 Tbsp. each) onto sheet and roll gently into balls. Freeze until firm (30 minutes minimum) or up to 1 month.

Before serving, dip frozen truffles individually into melted chocolate. Sprinkle with additional chopped ginger. Serve cool or at room temperature.

 
OMG - I never do anything easy

Seems what I am looking for are "Weinbrand-Kirschen" -- typically no more than one milliliter of Kirsch, surrounded by milk or (more usually) dark chocolate with a film of hard sugar between the two parts. The hard sugar acts as an impermeable casing for the liquid content and also compensates for the lack of sweetness that is typical of Kirsch (per Wikipedia). It seems the more well known ones are made by VanNetten/Böhme, Halloren , LaRoshell, & Asbach Uralt. Thanks to Cheezz I ordered the Asbach's from Amazon -- WARNING: POTENT STUFF. Really good, but not what I had in mind.
I think the search is made madenning (sp?) by the fact that the Mozart chocolates as actually a more common Austro-German confection called "Mozartkugeln" which are a chocolate covered marzipan praline made by a number of different companies all using similar imaging on their packaging.
So for now I am going with the really yummy Asbachs and next time I am in Germany or Switzerland I am going to go on a chocolate mission.

Thanks everyone for all your help.

 
I'm sure whatever you do will be MUCH appreciated, as it's the thought that counts most smileys/smile.gif

 
Joe, I found the Asbachs and another kind in the liquor store section of Costco. maybe they still

have some. or maybe it's just a holiday offering. It's a big old box though---plenty to share. try other liquor stores too.

 
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