Champagne pairs deliciously with sweets, especially chocolate.
- 12 oz. good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
- 1 c. unsalted butter
- 9 large egg yolks
- 6 T. superfine sugar (sometimes called bar sugar) or baker’s sugar
- 3 T. liqueur, such as Frangelico, Amaretto, dark rum, brandy, etc.
Heat the butter, chocolate and sugar over very low heat in a heavy saucepan until melted and combined. Stir in the egg yolks one by one, whisking vigorously. Add the liqueur and continue to stir for about 5 minutes or until the egg yolks have cooked and the mixture is thickened. Place the pan in a cold water bath to cool rapidly to room temperature, then put in a shallow pan and freeze for about an hour, or until firm. Sift cocoa powder onto a tray or plate. Form the truffle mixture into one-inch balls and roll in the cocoa powder. They should not be smooth – an irregular surface is what makes them look like the truffle fungi after which they are named.
Makes about 4 dozen.
This article appears in Dec 29, 2011 – Jan 4, 2012.
