What are chocolate truffles?

Chocolate truffles are a delicious treat any day of the year and a sweet gift on Valentine’s day. Chocolate truffles are made of chocolate ganache – a mixture of chocolate and cream that is melted together – that is rolled into balls. The most traditional type of chocolate truffle is then rolled in cocoa powder, but truffles can be covered with a layer of chocolate, rolled in nuts, shredded coconut or even dusted with confectioners’ sugar before serving. The outer coating simply makes the ultra-creamy truffle easier to pick up, although the journey from hand to mouth is usually a short one when chocolate truffles are concerned!

While the term “truffles” can refer to candies, truffles are really “the fruiting bod[ies] of underground mushroom[s].” There are many types but the edible ones are highly prized for their flavor and rarity, and command a very high price. Chocolate truffles actually get their name from that classic, cocoa powder coating – not because they contain actual truffles – but because that cocoa powder on the round chocolates looks a lot like the dirt on similarly round truffles freshly pulled from the earth. Both are delicacies and immensely enjoyable, hence the name chocolate truffle.