One of the duties of a pastry chef is to make what we call petit fours—really any small after-dinner treat—and I often made truffles. They are easier to make than they look, and guests were always impressed to see a little plate of them on the table after a meal. The recipe here is for a basic chocolate version. I add a little orange liqueur because I think it goes so well with cocoa, but feel free to leave it out.
Makes 50 truffles
1 Put the chocolate, cream, and butter in a heatproof bowl and melt them together in the microwave or over a bain-marie.
2 Whisk in the orange liqueur, if using, and salt.
3 Pour the truffle mixture into a small dish, roughly 5 x 8 inches. Cover and refrigerate overnight to firm up.
4 Scoop ½-tablespoon portions of the chocolate mixture and roll them into balls. If you find that the chocolate is too hard to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften. Finish the truffles by tossing and rolling them in the cocoa (this is a messy job, but once tossed in cocoa powder the truffles will look great). If you find the truffles are too soft at this point, refrigerate them for about an hour to firm them back up.
5 Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.