Anyone Can Cook, 12/01, Period 4

[thetoughestcook]

Colette was cheerful as the students filed in.

"Bonjour, and thank you for the time you spent on Thanksgiving last week," she said. "It seemed as though everyone enjoyed the food, and that is the important bit of a holiday."

"From now until the end of the term, we will work on desserts and confections. Today, the chocolate truffle." She held up a round brown thing and popped it into her mouth with evident delight. "It is named, bien sur, after the expensive and rare truffle fungus."

"They are traditionally made with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate or cocoa powder, and they are most often round. Other fillings may replace the ganache: cream, melted chocolate, caramel, nuts, almonds, berries or other sweet fruits, nougat, fudge, or toffee, mint, chocolate chips, marshmallow, and -- often -- liquor."

"Today, we will make the ganache sort. Watch and I will show you." She made the ganache quickly, handwaved a bit for the sake of time, formed it into balls and placed them into the refrigerator to chill. "When they are set, we'll roll them in a topping, such as cocoa or powdered sugar," she said. "These make magnificent gifts."