If you browse through a selection of dessert cookbooks and magazines you'll notice that the overwhelming majority of truffle recipes are variations on a simple ganache. They might have a higher chocolate to cream ratio, they might include a bit of butter as an extra ingredient, but they're all minor riffs on the same theme. This one is different. It originally came from a friend and colleague who herself got it from an acquaintance in her native Quebec. This recipe produces a meltingly smooth and creamy truffle, with more body to it than ganache. It dissolves more slowly on the tongue, prolonging that rich chocolate experience. The original recipe contained a small amount of granulated sugar, which I have removed. Nevertheless, a bit stirred into the liquid filling adds a pleasant crunch to the finished truffles.
Ingredients:
Place the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler not yet set over the heat.
Whisk together the egg yolks and milk and pour over the butter and chocolate.
Place the top of the double boiler over barely simmering water and begin stirring. Continue to stir until the chocolate and butter are completely melted. At first this will look like a terrible mess, with pieces of butter and chocolate surrounded by egg yolk, but don't worry, it will become smooth over time.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and optional liqueur.
Let the mixture sit for one hour at room temperature, stirring it every 20 minutes or so, then cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
Scoop out pieces of the chilled chocolate mixture the desired size of your finished truffles, and roll them into balls between the palms of your hands. Roll the truffle balls in cocoa powder. Return them to the refrigerator and keep truffles chilled until serving.
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