-Yeah, I know even you vegetarians would go for this. Admit it.-
"Yes, you missed the truffles."
And there it was, The Pout. Purposely exaggerated to the point where it would elicit a sympathetic response from laughter. BF was excited when I told him I had made truffles, something I just discovered was one of his favorite foods. When he came over and found out that they had all been devoured at the potluck it was then that The Pout appeared.
I giggled back and promised that I would make them again. Even better, I would show him just how easy it was to do so. (BF has been showing an increasing interest in cooking which is wonderful because it means he can cook for me soon.)
The night of truffle making I began setting up. We were going to make a simple cinnamon chocolate truffle. Classic and simple, a perfect beginning confection.
"Would you get the heavy cream out, please?" I asked.
He went to the fridge and opened the door. "You have bacon."
"Yeah, I'm thawing it for dinner." I buy bacon in large blocks and then carve it out into portions which go into the freezer. When I need some I thaw it out slowly over the day in the fridge. It was for this reason that he was now confronted with a chunk of bacon about the size of two loose fists.
"Ooh! Can we make bacon truffles?"
I turned, a bit surprised and very intrigued. "Uh... yeah, sure! I'm down if you are."
"Sweet."
Apparently while perusing the blog a few days back he had come upon the now famed (and first, I might add) bacon cupcake. Sad he had missed it BF was intrigued to try a sweet porky treat.
Oh, yes, there's a reason we get on so well.
The bacon truffles are awesome. There is no other word. Dark 70% chocolate, bitter enough to make your tongue tighten in all the right ways, is backed by meaty, salty bacon. It sounds odd but bittersweet and salty-savory work well together.
They were brought to dinner with BF's family and were met with at first trepidation, then grabby fingers as they nabbed truffle after truffle from the plate. A surprising candy that'll sway anyone to the side of sweet bacon treats.
-This picture is made out of pure, fricken' joy.-
Dark Chocolate Bacon Truffles
Makes about 30 truffles
1/4 cup + 7 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of fine chopped bacon
8 ounces of 60% or 70% chocolate (chips or well chopped)
cocoa powder for rolling
1. Cook some bacon in a skillet until well cooked, but not burnt. Place on some paper towels and press, being sure to soak out all extra grease. Dice into small pieces until you have a 1/2 cup.
2. Place heavy whipping cream in a small, heavy saucepot over medium heat and bring to just under a simmer. Take off heat.
3. Sprinkle in chocolate and cover for 5 minutes, allowing the chocolate to melt in the hot liquid. Stir gently until combined. (This is called a ganache.) Fold in the chopped bacon.
4. Pour into a bowl and cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
5. Using your hands dusted in cocoa powder and a teaspoon roll out balls of chocolate about 1/2-1 inch in diameter. Roll in cocoa powder and place on a plate. Store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.
*It's much easier to roll these with very cold hands. I put a jar or two of water in the freezer when the ganache is cooling. Bring them out when you are rolling. If your hands get too warm, hold the jar and chill your hands so the chocolate doesn't begin to melt.
-Make extra bacon and eat it. You know, to make sure it's good.-
Wait, where does the bacon go? Or am I crazy - because I don't see it in the instructions. (Mix into the ganache?)
ReplyDeleteSorry about the recipe hiccups. I wrote this at 2 am. The new school schedule has me working or in class 13 hours a day M-Th. Need sleep.
ReplyDeleteWe've all made the copy and paste error at least once :) thanks for the fix!
ReplyDeleteOh.My.God. Looks like I have Saturday afternoon plans. . Thank.You.
ReplyDeleteNo problem! I had a feeling it was a copy & paste issue since the curry showed up. (And I can't imagine tackling your regular daily schedule + blogging!) Loving the bacon idea, yummm. Give me sweet and salty any day of the week.
ReplyDeleteI have been loving the bacon and chocolate and bacon in sweets idea since I started eating bacon again in fall 2007 (I even remember the day...). I've been putting it in everything I can think of since then. I've never made truffles, partially b/c I used to be under the whole "If I won't like it, I won't make it" but maybe I need to be less selfish and start making things other people would like... But I don't know that I would be able to part w/ chocolate and bacon. If I subbed a darker milk chocolate, think it would work w/this truffle? I REALLY don't like dark chocolate and I know that milk chocolate covered bacon is delicious...
ReplyDeleteBacon and chocolate seems to be the new cool thing in food recently. Several weeks ago, I bought one of these (http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars) at Dean & Deluca in St. Helena, just because it sounded weird (and it was). A few days later I saw the same candy bar featured on a Food Network show. I have a feeling the dark chocolate truffle might be better than the milk chocolate bar... less rich perhaps?
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea. I've noticed more and more lately that bacon has been inserting itself into dishes I wouldn't otherwise have thought of. A friend of mine recently baked a bacon and apple pie.
ReplyDeleteGarrett, you know this is porn for foodies. I'm dying after looking at those pictures of bacon! Please share with us where you purchase that lovely stuff.
ReplyDeleteNeCole has it right, this is Foodie porn. I'm so making these. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThis is why I love you.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your maple-bacon cupcakes are what got me hooked on your blog last year, and YES you WERE le originale!
what a clever idea - i have to try this....
ReplyDeleteBetween this blog, the Simply Recipes one, and a few others I now either have in my pantry, or on my grocery list: Vanilla Beans, Rosewater, Dried Figs, and Italian Tuna in oil. All items I have never used before this year.
ReplyDeleteThe writing, the photography, all very enjoyable. Do you do the photos yourself? And are they taken indoors or out?
Anyway, keep up the good work.
A P.S. on the Rosewater. I made Panna Cotta using my last Vanilla Bean, and 2 teaspoons of Rosewater. I thought it was amazing. It tasted like roses smell.
Lili - I use a canon point and shoot and take pictures outside under a shady tree. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for liking the blogs.
Someone once told me that there is no food that doesn't taste better with bacon or chocolate. I have not yet found anything to prove them wrong. We've been a big fan of chocolate & bacon every since we stumbled upon the Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar. Mmmmm ... but your truffles sound better. Off to the store to pick up some heavy cream and bacon!
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong, but 1/4 cup plus 7 tablespoons is the same as 1/2 cup plus three tablespoons, yeah?
ReplyDeleteTo answer Alex, yeah, 1/4 cup plus 7 tablespoons is 1/2c plus 3T. Or 3/4 c minus 1 T. Or 5.5 oz, if you have one of those measuring cups. Whichever you prefer. (*leaves to go buy bacon*)
ReplyDelete