Milk Chocolate Caramel Truffles

Pastry Chef Richard Warren
The Fort Garry Hotel

These two-bite delights are smooth and silky with a whisper of dreamy caramel. For the best results, the tempered chocolate must be used as soon as it’s cool to the touch.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp heavy cream
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract, or half a vanilla bean
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
450g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
450g dark chocolate (about 60-70 per cent cocoa), roughly chopped
2 cups cocoa powder

Method
Truffles

1. In a heavy bottomed pot over high heat, cook sugar, honey and water until it turns a dark amber colour, about 6-9 mins.
2. Using a whisk, carefully add half of cream to create caramel sauce.
3. Add salt, vanilla and butter and whisk until incorporated.
4. Add remaining cream. Reduce heat to medium, making sure not to bring mixture to a boil.
5. Place milk chocolate in a bowl. Pour warm caramel sauce over chocolate. Let mixture sit for 2 mins.
6. Whisk ingredients together to emulsify, about 1-2 mins, insuring there are no lumps.
7. Set mixture aside until it firms, about 30 mins.
8. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of mixture into palm and form little balls.
9. Place formed truffles on sheet of parchment on countertop.

Tempered chocolate

1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring about 2” of water to a simmer.
2. Place metal bowl over saucepan, add about half of dark chocolate. Melt chocolate without stirring until it becomes a thin liquid.
3. Remove bowl from heat, add remaining chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, stir constantly until all chocolate is melted.
4. Set aside and cool.

Assembly

1. Spread two large pieces of parchment paper on countertop.
2. Pour about 3 cups of tempered chocolate on paper. Using a spatula, quickly spread chocolate.
3. Sprinkle cocoa powder on second sheet.
4. Working quickly, roll individual truffles in tempered chocolate, then cocoa powder and set aside.
5. Add more tempered chocolate to parchment paper when necessary and continue until all truffles are rolled in chocolate and powder.

Yield about 2 dozen