Cacao Alchemist

How to complete Cacao Alchemist

Tempering is heating and cooling chocolate to set its cocoa butter in the right crystal form, which gives truffles a glossy snap instead of a dull, melty smear. Roll a ganache center in that tempered shell and you've made real confectionery.

1. Make ganache: pour hot cream over chopped chocolate, stir smooth, then chill until firm enough to scoop.
2. Scoop and roll the ganache into balls, then chill them again so they hold shape for coating.
3. Temper coating chocolate by melting most of it to about 45C, then stirring in reserved chopped chocolate to drop it to roughly 31-32C (dark).
4. Dip or hand-roll the centers in the tempered chocolate, then roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts.
5. Let them set at cool room temperature, not the fridge, so the temper holds.

Tips

• Keep all water away from the chocolate; a drop will seize it into a grainy paste.
• Test temper by smearing a little on a knife; properly tempered chocolate sets shiny in a few minutes.
• Work in a cool kitchen; warm hands and warm rooms break the temper.

What counts as done

Your truffles have a firm, glossy shell that snaps and a smooth ganache center.