Chai truffles recipe

Editors' note: This recipe was mentioned in the "Smooth as Ganache" article (page 21) of the Summer issue of Chef Educator Today.

Chai Truffles

Jenny Lewis, C.C.E., C.H.E, chef-instructor, Lexington College, Chicago

Batch size: 25.5 oz. (730 g.)

0.5 oz. (10 g.) chai tea blend*
1 vanilla bean, scraped
6 oz. (180 g.) heavy cream
Milk, as needed
2 oz. (60 g.) glucose syrup
16 oz. (460 g.) milk chocolate, tempered, chopped and unmelted
1 oz. (20 g.) softened butter
Cocoa powder, for rolling
Tempered milk or dark chocolate, as needed for finishing

Method (1) Place tea, vanilla bean and heavy cream in pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes or until desired flavor. (2) Strain mixture through chinois or cheesecloth. Squeeze tea mixture to extract maximum flavors. (3) Re-scale mixture, and add milk to attain the cream original weight. (4) Add glucose syrup to the mixture, and bring to a simmer. (5) Pour hot mixture over chopped chocolate. (6) Stir from center of mixture outward, in circles, or use immersion blender until mixture blends. (7) Before adding butter, ensure mixture is thoroughly blended and emulsified. (8) Add softened butter into ganache, making sure no butter lumps remain. (9) Pour ganache into a hotel pan, and cover directly with plastic wrap to ensure no skin forms on the chocolate. (10) Cool at room temperature until slightly firm. (11) Pipe or scoop truffle balls. Allow to crystallize at room temperature until firm enough to handle. (12) Roll truffles by hand into round balls, using cocoa powder on your hands if to sticky. (13) Dip rolled balls into tempered milk or dark chocolate.

* Substitute other tea or tisanes (dried fruits, flowers and spices) to flavor your ganache.