French Chocolate Truffles - Doesn't That Sound Great?Truffles are one of the most delicious chocolate treats you can buy. When they were first created, truffles were only reserved for the very wealthy. Nowadays you can buy delicious french chocolate truffles from almost any chocolate store or supermarket. Chocolate has been prepared for many hundred of years, but it wasn't until 1828 when the cocoa press was invented. This machine allowed for the separation of the natural fat in cocoa beans, called cocoa butter, from the bean solids. This improved the consistency and the taste of the remaining cocoa powder but also made possible the development of solid chocolate. One of the first solid chocolate manufacturers was Fry's chocolate factory in Bristol, England, which was opened in 1847. Until then, people used to drink the delicious treat. Milk chocolate was first created in 1879, when two Swiss, Henri Nestle and Daniel Peter, developed milk chocolate by combining solid chocolate with milk powder. Afterwards, manufacturing chocolate has transformed into an entire industry, and many advances and discoveries have been made.
One such experiment, which French and Swiss pastries carried on, led to the development of ganache. Genache is the main element in a truffle. Ganache is a combination of solid chocolate and cream. Cooked at just the right temperature it cools down to form a rich and firm paste with intensifies the chocolate's flavor. A truffle contains a ganache center, which is sometimes flavored, covered with milk, dark or white chocolate. Truffles are often covered in cocoa powder, sugar or finely chopped nuts. No one knows who first created the truffle. Both the French and the Swiss compete for the honor of developing the first truffle. This chocolate treat is called a "truffle" for its visual similarity to the French mushroom-like fungus which carries the same name. Truffles are made in a wide variety of assortments. In many chocolate factories and manufacturers, the Chocolatier's finest ingredients are kept especially to prepare the truffles. French truffles are rolled into round shaped pieces to look like the real truffle fungus that grows around the roots of trees in France and Italy. Once the truffles are formed they are then rolled in cocoa powder to simulate the 'dirt' that the real truffles grow in. The taste and quality of the truffle is primarily dependent on the quality of chocolate you start with. Remember, not all chocolates are the same. The type and/or blend of beans, their quality, and where they are grown all contribute to the quality and taste of the chocolate. Other factors affecting taste and quality are how the beans are roasted, how much extra cocoa butter is added to the chocolate liquor, the quality and the amount of other ingredients added, and how long the chocolate liquor is processed. A chocolate with a velvety smooth texture will produce a truffle that is velvety smooth. French pastries have a historical reputation for creating some of the world's most delicious chocolate truffle treats and what was once considered the rich people's delight, is now available in chocolate stores al over the world. |
