Chocolate Tea Truffles

Coconut Tea Truffles

Chocolate Earl Grey Truffles

2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves (Use the highest quality large loose tea you can find)
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 

Bring cream and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan and stir in tea leaves. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely grind chocolate in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Pour cream through a fine-mesh sieve onto chocolate, pressing on and discarding tea leaves, then whisk until smooth. Chill ganache, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.

Spoon level teaspoons of ganache onto a baking sheet. Put cocoa in a bowl, then dust your palms lightly with it. Roll each piece of ganache into a ball (wash your hands and redust as they become sticky). Drop several balls at a time into bowl of cocoa and turn to coat. Transfer as coated to an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper. 

Coconut tea truffles

Pictured are a batch of Coconut truffles I made when I found a coconut tea.  Then instead of rolling them in cocoa powder, I rolled them in ground coconut.

Cooks' note:   

• When using tea, always use the best quality large leaf loose tea.  Don’t use tea bags.

• Truffles can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, or 1 month ahead and frozen in an airtight container.

Makes about 34 truffles.