Spring is here. (or at least that is what the daffodils in my garden are telling me.) I have brought back the silky delicious Earl Grey truffle to celebrate spring. I have been asked how the truffle gets its great smooth Earl Grey flavor, so I thought I would tell you about it.
Adding tea (or any herb) to the ganache is done using a process called infusion. Ganache is the center of the truffle. A traditional ganache is made with chocolate and cream and/or butter. Most of my truffles use both cream and butter. It creates a rich and smooth texture that is easy to make into truffle balls. If I use just butter, it will be a drier center, so I will add a jam or another flavoring to soften it up.
When I make the Earl Grey truffle, I start by melting the butter into the cream. I do this very slowly in the microwave, careful not to scald the cream. After the butter is melted, I add several tablespoons of the tea leaves directly to the cream mixture. I stir and let steep for about 10 minutes. After it is steeped and I've stirred a bit more, I strain the tea out of the cream. Then I add the cream to the chocolate. The tea has now been introduced into the ganache and I can continue on with the truffle.
So, that is how you get the delicious flavor!
I would love to get more questions about making truffles. Please, send questions as comments to my blog and I will do my best to answer.
Yours in chocolate!
Emily
The Truffle Lady
2 comments:
Earl Grey has great texture and great flavor.
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