I like to use a mix of semi-sweet and white chocolate in these truffles, so that the resulting ganache is not too sweet and does not overpower the grapefruit with a strong chocolate flavor. However, you can use any combination of milk, white, or semi-sweet chocolate. This recipe yields 12 large 1-inch truffles or about 20 smaller truffles.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp cream
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 tbsp (2 oz) butter, cut into small pieces
- 12 ounces chocolate coating
Preparation:
1. Zest the grapefruit and chop the zest finely. Reserve 1 tsp of the finely chopped zest, and place the remainder in a very small saucepan. Add the cream to the zest in the saucepan, and heat it over medium heat, until it starts to simmer and bubble around the edges. Immediately remove from the heat and cover the pan with a lid, allowing the cream to infuse for at least 20 minutes, or up to several hours.
2. While the cream is steeping, combine the white chips, the semi-sweet chips, and the diced butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate and butter for 45 seconds, to begin to melt the chocolate and butter. Set aside. Cut the grapefruit in half and squeeze out 1.5 tablespoons of juice.
3. After the cream has infused for at least 20 minutes, return the cream to the heat and reheat it, stirring occasionally, until it once again reaches a simmer. Remove the simmering cream from the heat, and stir in the fresh grapefruit juice.
4. Place a wire mesh strainer over the bowl of chocolate and butter, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Press down on the grapefruit zest in the strainer with a spoon to extract all of the remaining juice.
5. Gently whisk the cream and chocolate together, stirring until the mixture is smooth and all of the chocolate has melted. Whisk in the reserved 1 tsp of finely chopped grapefruit zest. Cover the surface of the chocolate with cling wrap and refrigerate the candy until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. If you refrigerate these for several hours or overnight, the ganache might be too hard to work with. In this case, let it stand for an hour or two at room temperature until it is workable.
6. Once the chocolate has set sufficiently, use a teaspoon to scoop a ball from the chocolate and roll it between your hands until it is round. If desired, you can dust your hands with cocoa powder to prevent the truffles from sticking to your palms. Once all of the truffles are rolled, prepare the chocolate coating.
7. Place the coating in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. Allow the chocolate to cool just slightly--you don’t want it to start setting, but if it’s piping hot it will melt the centers. Dip the round truffles in the melted chocolate using dipping tools or two forks. Wipe the excess chocolate on the rim of the bowl, and place the dipped truffle back on the baking sheet. If desired, you can decorate your truffles with pink sprinkles, or with drizzles of white chocolate that has been colored with oil-based pink candy coloring.
8. Allow the truffles to chill until the chocolate has set. Store Pink Grapefruit Truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. These truffles have the best taste and texture when served at room temperature.
