The timing was right for making these exquisite Chocolate Frangelico Truffles, as the hubby was scrounging for Oreos in the pantry. I needed a refresher on how to temper chocolate since I hadn’t made these decadent bonbons since 2011!

Chocolate Frangelico Truffles in a small white candy bowl

Chocolate Frangelico Truffles

Next to chocolate chip cookies, I think truffles (especially these chocolate Frangelico truffles) and fudge come in second and third as family favorite treats. Have you ever made truffles? They’re pretty darn easy.

I often roll them in cocoa powder to avoid the challenge of dipping them in melted chocolate. Chopped nuts and coconut are other delicious coatings for what is basically a chilled ball of ganache!

For these dreamy truffles, hot cream infused with some Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur, was poured over chopped semisweet chocolate. Once the chocolate melted, the mixture was stirred until smooth and chilled before rolling into balls. I left the ganache balls in the refrigerator overnight and saved the chocolate tempering until the next morning.

Chocolate Frangelico Truffles on a square white ceramic plate

How to Temper Chocolate

Though it was nearly autumn, our temperatures were the hottest of the year. Not ideal for working with chocolate.

I adjusted the air conditioning and extended the refrigerating time. All you need to temper chocolate is some quality chocolate, a double boiler (just a pan of simmering water and a heatproof bowl that fits the pan), and a good candy thermometer.

Details are in the recipe, but tempering chocolate involves melting two-thirds of the chocolate, adding the remaining third of the unmelted chocolate, cooling then reheating the chocolate. All of these steps require the chocolate reaching precise temperatures. Pros can do it by sight and feel, but I’m no pro!!

Due to our sultry day, there were a few too many fingerprints for my perfectionist nature, but Bill and son, Tom, couldn’t stop raving about these chocolate Frangelico truffles. Tom ate 3 before having a cupcake for dessert!

I also had some Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Melts as a backup. If you don’t want to deal with tempering chocolate, using melts is a terrific option.

I learned this tempering technique when I was in the Daring Bakers group. Here are the temperatures for each of the 3 varieties of chocolate:

Tempering Ranges:

Celsius

Dark: 45°C – 50°C  >  27°C  >  32°C

Milk: 45°C  >  27°C  >  30°C

White: 45°C  >  27°C  >  29°C

Fahrenheit

Dark: 113°F – 122°F  >  80.6°F  >  89.6°F

Milk: 113°F  >  80.6°F  >  86°F

White: 113°F  >  80.6°F  >  84.2°F

Chocolate Frangelico Truffles on a square white plate with one exposing the filling

Tips for Tempering Chocolate:

You’ll want to read through the recipe to see how to temper chocolate, but here are some additional tips. Note that you can also use chocolate melts to dip your truffles if you want a shortcut!

  • Make sure that your bowl fits snugly into the saucepan so that there’s no chance of steam forming droplets that may fall into your chocolate. If water gets into your chocolate it will seize!
  • Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the chocolate so that it melts evenly.
  • Wooden spoons can retain moisture so it’s best to use a rubber spatula while tempering.
  • Remember, don’t let any water get into your chocolate at any stage of the tempering process!
  • If you still have a few un-melted bits of chocolate, put the bowl back over the simmering water, stirring gently and watching the thermometer constantly.
  • It’s imperative to keep an eye on the temperature so that it doesn’t go over its working temperature.
  • If you’re using the chocolate to dip a lot of truffles,  the chocolate will be sitting off the heat for a while it will naturally start to thicken as it cools. To keep it at an ideal viscosity for even coating, put the bowl over steam for 30 sec – 1 min every 10 – 15 mins, just do not let the temperature go over the working temperature!
  • Having the chocolate in a warmed glass bowl and wrapped in a hot kitchen towel can also help keep the chocolate at its working temperature for longer.
  • It is also easier to keep the heat if you work with larger amounts of chocolate rather than small amounts. Any leftover chocolate can be kept to be used later and then re-tempered.
  • Unless you’ve been working with chocolate for a while and have developed a feel for the tempering process and can tell the chocolate’s temperature by touching it to your lower lip like a pro, it’s imperative that you use a thermometer to determine the temperature, as going a few degrees either way can ruin the temper.
  • If at any stage you do make a mistake with the tempering process you can simply start again from the beginning. Or grab the bag of chocolate melts!
  • Any chocolate left over after making your molded or dipped chocolate can be stored away in a cool place and then re-tempered before using it again. There’s no need to ever waste good chocolate!
  • The temperatures in my recipe are for semisweet chocolate. See above for the milk and white chocolate ranges.

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Chocolate Frangelico Truffles | Exquisite truffles flavored with hazelnut liqueur plus a guide for tempering chocolate

Chocolate Frangelico Truffles Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 2 dozen

These homemade Chocolate Frangelico Truffles are a decadent confection that's perfect for gifting.

Ingredients

Ganache:

  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon Frangelico

For Tempered Chocolate:

  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, divided (5+ ounces will be melted, a little less than 3 ounces will be for seeding)

Instructions

  1. To make the ganache, place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
  2. Heat heavy cream in the microwave (I use a Pyrex measuring cup) until hot and almost boiling. Add Frangelico and mix to combine.
  3. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Whisk until smooth.
  4. Let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Scoop rounds onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Chill until tempered chocolate is ready (I left them to chill overnight).
  6. To temper chocolate, place about ⅔ of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl (a little more than 5 ounces).
  7. Set aside ⅓ of the chocolate pieces (a little less than 3 ounces).
    Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water)
  8. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the chocolate so that it melts evenly.
  9. Once it’s melted, keep an eye on the thermometer, as soon as it reaches 45°C / 113°F remove from heat.
  10. Add small amounts of the remaining ⅓ un-melted chocolate (seeds) and stir in to melt.
  11. Continue to add small additions of chocolate until you’ve brought the chocolate down to 27°C/80.6°F (You can bring the dark chocolate down to between 80°F and 82°F).
  12. Put it back on the double boiler and bring the temperature back up until it reaches its working temperature of the chocolate  89.6°F.
  13. The chocolate is now tempered and ready to use.
  14. Dip your truffle balls into the tempered chocolate and place them on a parchment-lined sheet until the coating hardens.

Notes

If you don't want to temper chocolate, you can use Ghirardelli chocolate melts to coat the truffles.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1 truffle

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 108Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g

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