Share the Love — Valentine’s Day Blog Swap

Today is our lucky day! Andrea from Mrs. Webb in the Kitchen is going to teach us how to make special truffle stuffed strawberries. Just in time for Valentine’s Day!

 

Andrea and I met in high school and bonded over cold nights marching around the football field for band and giggling our way through nasally accents in French class. Although we lost touch for a few years after graduation, I found out last fall that she now works in a bakery—my dream job! She has picked up lots of tricks and tips, especially in the cake decorating world, and I begged her to share some with us.

 

In exchange, I wrote a guest post for her with a recipe for heart-shaped french toast for two. Be sure to check it out after reading her truffle tutorial, as well as her dainty French macarons and moist gingerbread cake with molasses frosting!

 

 

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a sucker for Valentine’s Day. Even before I had a sweetheart of my own, I adored a day dedicated to pink hearts, pretty flowers, and candy. In my elementary school years, I couldn’t wait to hand out silly and sweet paper valentines to my classmates- each of the pre-printed sentiments carefully sorted into classmate, crush, or friend-worthy categories!

 

This year, in lieu of passing out stale old conversation hearts, I thought I’d try my hand at some hand-crafted truffles. These strawberry truffles, however, are a fusion of two of the most classic heart day treats: truffles and chocolate covered strawberries! My original plan was to add a berry-flavored extract to ganache to make a traditional truffle interior. Instead, I decided to stuff the ganache inside a real, live strawberry.  

 

If you’ve never made a chocolate truffle before, even though this one isn’t quite traditional, the concept is the same and surprisingly simple. Who knew that two ingredients, when combined, cooled, and covered in crisp chocolate, could create the smooth and melt-in-your-mouth feel that truffles are known for? Ganache, a combination of chocolate and heavy cream, is the versatile substance that is the stuff of truffles. I hope you enjoy the process of making these as much as you will enjoy eating and sharing them! (or not sharing them….)

 

 

Truffle Stuffed Strawberries

makes 12 rich truffles… plenty to share with friends or your sweetheart!

Serve chilled or at room temperature, but eat them within two or three days before the strawberries turn too soft.

ingredients

12 large strawberries

4 oz quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips for dipping

8 oz white chocolate melts for dipping/decorating if desired

gel food coloring for decorating, if desired

 

equipment needed

mini muffin tin (not necessary, but helpful)

vegetable peeler, or strawberry corer

glass measuring cup

3 glass bowls for melting chocolate

2 pastry bags, or small ziploc bags

parchment paper on a metal sheet pan

 

1. To make the ganache filling: Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl. In a large glass measuring cup, microwave heavy cream for one minute. Check, and continue to microwave in 15-second intervals until boiling. Pour boiling cream over chocolate chips, and whisk or stir gently until completely combined. Set in refrigerator for about 15 minutes, or until it reaches a piping consistency.
2. Meanwhile, core the strawberries with the end of a vegetable peeler or a strawberry corer. Make sure to dig out a good amount of the strawberry, but don’t make holes in the walls. If you have a mini muffin tin, it works great for setting the strawberries upright so that the ganache you will be piping in isn’t tempted to ooze over the top. If you don’t have a muffin tin, you can always wait until the ganache is slightly firmer and won’t run out.
3. When ganache is cooled, spoon into a piping bag or ziploc, cut a small hole in the bottom, and pipe into the strawberries. Transfer filled strawberries to the freezer for 15 minutes.
4. During the last few minutes of freezing time, melt the remaining chocolates. If you have used a large glass bowl for melting, transfer the melted chocolate to a different container that allows the chocolate to be deep, such as a small drinking glass.
5. Take the strawberries out of the freezer, and working quickly, dip the open top half of the strawberry in the chocolate.  Scrape any extra chocolate off, and place on parchment-lined sheet pan. Transfer to the refrigerator for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to harden.
6. Again, working quickly so that the hardened chocolate won’t be re-melted, dip the bottom halves of the strawberries in the white chocolate. If you want to be fancy, dip them in at an angle. Transfer to the refrigerator for 1-2 minutes.
7. With any remaining white chocolate, add a few drops of food coloring (if using), mix, and transfer to a pastry or ziploc bag. Squiggle over the middle of the strawberries.

 

 

Don’t forget to check out the french toast for two recipe I wrote for Andrea, plus her amazing French macarons and decadent gingerbread cake!