White Chocolate Apricot Truffles Recipes

WHITE CHOCOLATE APRICOT AND COCONUT TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Mix apricots, coconut and condensed milk in a small bowl until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Using your hands, roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Refrigerate again for 15 minutes.
• Combine oil and chocolate in a small heatproof microwave container and microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted. Stir well.
• Using a fork, dip one ball of the apricot mixture into the chocolate mixture to coat all over and place again on the lined tray.
• Repeat with remaining balls and chocolate mixture.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until chocolate has set.

WHITE CHOCOLATE APRICOT TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Place 2 tablespoons of the water and the brandy in a 1-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the chopped apricots, cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let stand until the liquid is absorbed (about 30 minutes).
• Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water. Add 8 ounces of the chocolate and the remaining 2 tablespoons water, and stir frequently with a rubber spatula to ensure even melting. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until fluffy and cooled to room temperature (about 3 minutes). Stir in the chopped apricots, cover, and refrigerate until firm but not stiff (3 to 4 hours).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. With a spoon or small ice cream scoop, scoop out small mounds of the mixture. Dust your hands with confectioners' sugar and roll the mounds into 1-inch balls. These will be the truffle centers. Cover the truffle centers with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 2 hours or in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
• Remove the truffle centers from the freezer and bring to cool-room temperature so the outer coating won't crack when they are dipped. Line another baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Melt and temper the remaining 1 pound chocolate (see pages 25-30). Place a truffle center into the tempered chocolate, coating it completely. With a dipper or fork, remove the center from the chocolate, carefully shake off the excess chocolate, and turn the truffle out onto the paper. After dipping 4 truffles, place a sliver of dried apricot on top of each truffle before the chocolate sets up.
• Let the truffles set up at room temperature, or chill them in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. When the truffles are set, place them in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the truffles will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. The truffles are best served at room temperature.
• Instead of dipping the truffle centers in chocolate, roll them in finely chopped, toasted pistachio nuts as soon as they are formed into balls.
• White Chocolate Pear Truffles: Substitute dried pears and Poire Williams pear brandy for the apricots and apricot brandy.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Combine chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl that fits snugly over a pot of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until the chocolate and butter are melted. The mixture will look grainy.
• Remove bowl from simmering water and thoroughly stir in cream one tablespoon at a time. The mixture will become increasingly grainy. As the last of the cream is added, however, it will become smooth. Press plastic wrap directly against top of mixture and refrigerate for an hour.
• Scrape mixture into bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute then add the liqueur in a slow, steady stream and continue beating until the mixture lightens in both color and texture, 15 to 30 seconds. Do not overbeat.
• Scrape mixture into a 14-inch pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tube (Ateco No. 6). Pipe out 3/4-inch spheres onto a pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate until firm, about a half hour. Roll each truffle between the palms of your hands to make it completely round. If the mixture gets too soft to roll, chill for a few minutes until firm. Roll in sifted cocoa powder. Store in the refrigerator up to one week.