Whiskey, Chocolate and Walnut Truffles
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 32 truffles 1x
Description
The touch of natural bitterness in walnuts plays against the sweetness of the turbinado sugar and the slight bite of the whisky for a taste that’s both lush and balanced.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (30 g) butter
- 1/2 cup (55 g) walnuts, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) whisky
- 1+ cup (200 g) turbinado sugar (raw sugar) to coat truffles
Instructions
- On a cookie sheet, toast the walnuts in the oven at 350 degrees until they color. Finely chop walnuts and set aside in a small bowl with the whisky, mix to combine, and leave for at least an hour. Most of the whisky will be absorbed by the nuts.
- Chop the chocolate with a serrated knife and set aside in a bowl with the butter.
- Heat the cream on the stove until it begins to boil and then immediately pour it over the chocolate and butter. Let it sit undisturbed for about five minutes while the chocolate and butter melt. Stir to blend. If there are still some chunks of chocolate, you can gently warm the bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring the whole time. Do this only until the chocolate is melted or you can “burn” your chocolate. (Hint — if you smell brownies, you’ve gone over the edge and burnt it. Throw it out, or turn it into actual brownies, and start again.)
- Once the chocolate and cream mix is blended and smooth, add the nuts and any whisky left in the bowl and mix to combine. This is your chocolate ganache. Set it aside until it is firm enough to scoop into truffles. Because making truffles requires getting your hands dirty, it is best done in stages. Do all the portioning, then all the rolling, then all the coating.
- Portion — with a melon baller or two spoons working together (like you would with cookie dough), measure out the ganache into bits that will form a ball about one inch across.
- Roll — roll each ganache portion between your palms to form a ball
- Coat — on a plate, pour a thin layer of turbinado sugar and roll each ball of ganache to coat. If you are making a large number to truffles, you can also place several cups of sugar in a large bowl, drop in the truffles a few at a time, and shake the bowl until they’re coated.
- Truffles will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Because they are not sealed in an additional layer of tempered chocolate like a commercial truffle, they must be stored in the refrigerator. Bring up to room temperature to serve.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Chocolate
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 truffle
- Calories: 90
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the walnuts need to soak in whisky for at least an hour before making the ganache?
Step 1 explains that the toasted, finely chopped walnuts absorb most of the 3 tbsp (45 ml) of whisky during the soak — this infuses the nuts with the spirit’s flavour so the ganache won’t have pockets of raw alcohol when the nuts and any remaining whisky are folded in.
How do I know if I’ve overheated the chocolate?
The instructions include a memorable warning: “if you smell brownies, you’ve gone over the edge and burnt it” — if that happens, the recipe says to throw it out (or turn it into actual brownies) and start again with fresh 8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate and 2 tbsp (30 g) butter.
Why are these truffles coated in turbinado sugar rather than cocoa powder?
The excerpt describes the turbinado (raw) sugar as playing against the natural bitterness of the walnuts and the “slight bite of the whisky for a taste that’s both lush and balanced” — the coarse sugar crystals also add a crunch that smooth cocoa powder wouldn’t. 
How long do these truffles keep?
Step 8 says they will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, but must be stored there — without a tempered chocolate shell they cannot sit at room temperature. Bring them up to room temperature before serving.
I made them in a double dose. They were very difficult to form even though I chilled them in the freezer for some time . I followed the recipeeexactly as it is written but the result was more like a mouse rather than a truffle!!
Please tell me what else I could do to make it easy for forming them inti individual truffles.