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Prep time
2 hours 10 minutes
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Cook time
10 minutes
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makes
About 18 truffles
Author Notes
All chocolate truffles are easy, but these are easier. There’s no butter or shortening or vanilla. There’s no rolling by hand either. Albeit a given step in most recipes, all this has ever gotten me was spheres that aren’t actually spheres and chocolate washed down the sink. And so we’ll skip it. Thanks to a trusty cookie scoop, you get less mess, even portions, and neat-as-a-pin domes, which remind me of a fancy chocolate shop, except I get to stay in my pajamas and don’t have to leave the house. Spoons won’t do the trick here.
Make sure you get a chocolate that is at least 60 percent cacao, ideally higher, for a boldly bitter flavor. This is a dessert that’s perfect for when you forgot to save room for dessert, so the less sweet, the more satisfying. Likewise, crème fraîche replaces the usual heavy cream, for a funkier, tangier, just-better flavor. When it comes to toppings, go nuts. As in literal nuts (toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, what have you, blitzed until powdery). Or sesame seeds, cocoa powder, matcha powder, malted milk powder (my favorite), freeze-dried fruit powder, shredded coconut, crushed potato chips, smashed pretzels, or sprinkles.
—Emma Laperruque
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Ingredients
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8 ounces
(1 cup) crème fraîche
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8 ounces
dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao), chips or chopped
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1/8 teaspoon
kosher salt
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Your pick of toppings (optional, see Author Notes)
Directions
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Add the crème fraîche to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it’s melted and hot, turn off the heat and add the chocolate and salt, shaking the pan so the chocolate is evened out. Let sit for a couple minutes, then stir to combine and melt the chocolate.
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Transfer the chocolate mixture to a baking dish (a brownie pan works well), spread into an even layer, and cover. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until the chocolate is scoopable, like ready-to-eat ice cream.
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Use a 1-tablespoon–size cookie scoop (or similar) to portion the chocolate mixture into truffles on a parchment-lined plate; use the side of the dish to create level scoops, so they’re evenly sized and flat on the bottom. If you’d like, roll in your pick of toppings, then serve immediately or refrigerate for later. (If you are eating them later, make sure to let them come to room temperature first.)
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.
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