Dark Chocolate Orange Truffles

Submitted by Just_Ducky!!

"The original recipe came from an old Canadian Living Christmas Book. I've made a few variations of these for Christmas gatherings and they're very popular. I've always used Bernard Callebaut's dark baking chocolate but I'm not sure if it's available anymore. Semi-sweet bakers chocolate can be substituted in place of the dark. Preparation time is approximate as it has been awhile since I made these, and does not include chill time."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 50 truffles
• Serves: 50

ingredients

• 250 ml whipping cream
• 250 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 25 ml frozen orange juice concentrate, substitute your favourite orange liqueur
• 15 ml orange zest
• 250 ml icing sugar, sifted
• 375 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 250 ml unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

directions

1. FILLING.
2. In a small saucepan, heat cream just until bubbles form around edge of pan, remove from heat.
3. Stir in 250 g of chocolate pieces until smooth, stir in orange juice concentrate and orange zest.
4. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until thickened and cold.
5. Using a whisk (NOT electric mixer), beat chocolate mixture just until creamy and lighter in colour. Do not overbeat or mixture will separate.
6. Using a pastry bag fitted with 1 cm plain tip, pipe filling into 2.5 cm diameter rounds on two wax paper-lined baking sheets.
7. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
8. Sift icing sugar into a pie plate.
9. Working with rounds from one baking sheet at a time, lightly roll in icing sugar.
10. Gently roll each round between fingertips to round off tips. Return to wax paper-lined sheet and freeze for 1 hour or until hard and almost frozen.
11. COATING.
12. In top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt 375 g of chocolate.
13. Remove from heat, let cool slightly.
14. Sift cocoa into a pie plate.
15. Using two forks, dip balls from one baking sheet at a time into chocolate, letting excess drip off. (If chocolate thickens while you work, rewarm gently over hot stove.
16. Place balls in cocoa.
17. Using two clean forks, roll truffles in cocoa and refrigerate on wax paper-lined baking sheet until hardened.
18. Place truffles in candy cups and store in airtight container in refrigerator until just before serving.
19. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen up to 3 months.