A recipe from Mad About Chocolate, Williamsburg
Dark Chocolate Truffle Heart
For the Ganache:
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Place 8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate in a small bowl. Bring ¾ cup heavy cream in a small saucepan to a boil over medium heat. Pour over chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture (called ganache) onto a nonstick baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to spread the ganache in a smooth, even layer to within about an inch of the inside edges of the pan. Place the ganache in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until firm to the touch. Line a 10- to 12-inch dinner plate with parchment paper or waxed paper. Portion 12 heaping tablespoons of ganache onto the paper. Roll each portion of ganache into a ball. Return each to the paper-lined plate, and place in the freezer while preparing the cake batter.
For the Chocolate Cocoa Cakes:
5 ounces unsalted butter cut into ½-ounce pieces
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat the inside of each individual nonstick muffin cup with 2 teaspoons melted butter. Set aside. Sift together 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup cocoa powder. Set aside. Melt semisweet chocolate and 5 ounces butter in the top half of a double boiler over medium-low heat. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate and butter until completely melted and smooth, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on a medium-high speed for 2 minutes until slightly frothy. Add the melted chocolate and butter and mix on low to combine, about 15 seconds. Continue mixing on low while gradually adding the sifted dry ingredients. Once all the dry ingredients have been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix on medium to combine, about 15 seconds.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until thoroughly combined. Portion 3 heaping tablespoons (about 2 ½ ounces) of the cake batter into each individual muffin cup. Place the muffin tin on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the truffles from the freezer.
Remove the muffin tin from the oven. Moving quickly, place a single frozen truffle in the center of each small cake, pressing each truffle about halfway down into the cakes. Immediately return the muffin tin to the center rack of the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the truffle) comes out clean, about 17 to 18 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove cakes from muffin cups. Serve immediately while still warm.
Serves 12
