Chevre Chocolate Truffles: We all Love Goats!

I spent the day yesterday at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Oh yes, there were other foods, but chocolate was definitely on the menu. Over the next week or so, I'll be letting you know what's new, posting recipes featuring some of the new products, reviewing the products, and lmore! I'm back to the show today, so I thought I'd post one easy recipe for you.

I'm a huge fan of Cypress Grove Chevre. They have a great variety of goat cheeses from Humboldt Fog to Bermuda Triangle to Sgt. Pepper to Purple Haze, and everything in between. Their displays each year at the Fancy Food Show are spectacular, and this year's was the best ever. Who wouldn't want a beautiful cake made of cheese wheels?

The following recipe for Goat Cheese Chocolate Truffles will work well with any Chevre, so you can use whatever is available to you. Make sure it's fresh. This specific goat cheese truffle recipe (I've posted others) really highlights the chevre, so mix is up and try other goat cheeses to see what you like best. I use Humboldt Fog which has a very distinct taste, so you might want to make your first batch with a more mild chevre. Humboldt Fog has a subtle, tangy flavor and distinctive layer of edible vegetable ash. Of course, different chocolate will also make a difference in flavor. Enjoy!

Chevre Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
6 1/2 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped
7 ounces fresh Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog chevre, room temperature  (or a Chevre of your choosing)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder, for rolling

Directions
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler or metal pot over another pot over simmering water.  Mix chevre and sugar in medium-size bowl. Stir in melted chocolate and mix until  smooth.
Refrigerate an hour to overnight.
When ready to make truffles, roll heaping teaspoons of refrigerated mixture into small balls, then roll balls in cocoa powder.
Chill on sheet pan until ready to serve or keep 3 to 4 days in refrigerator.

Laura Chenel's Chèvre Chocolate Truffles

I'm a huge fan of goat cheese, and I've posted several goat cheese truffles recipes on DyingforChocolate.com.  Laura Chenel's Chèvre Fresh Log took 1st place in the 2011 American Cheese Society competition, and it's a favorite of mine. I was so excited to meet Chef Jacquelyn Buchanan  from Laura Chenel at the Fancy Food Show this week. We chatted about chocolate and cheese, and I picked up her recipe for Laura Chenel's 'Award-Winning' Chèvre Chocolate Truffles. You can never have too many truffle recipes or too many truffles. In this recipe you can use either Log or Chabis (creamy, not flavored).

LAURA CHENEL'S 'AWARD WINNING' CHEVRE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Ingredients
4 ounces Laura Chenel's Chèvre (Log or Chef’s Chèvre-not flavored)
6 ounces fine quality semi-sweet chocolate (72% cacao)
¼ cup agave nectar or mild-flavored honey
1 tablespoon Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder for coating
Optional Special equipment: 1-inch paper candy cups

Directions
1. In the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring gently until it is smooth. Be sure the bottom of the bowl of chocolate is not touching the simmering water. Take care not to get water into the chocolate. (Tip: To melt the chocolate in a microwave use a low power setting, microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat until the chocolate is smooth.)
2. Add the Laura Chenel's Chèvre and agave nectar or honey to the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in the Frangelico, orange zest and almond extract. (If using the microwave, the mixture: may need to be re-warmed). Transfer the mixture to a glass baking dish and refrigerate for 2 hours or place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop, melon baller or spoon, shape the mixture into ¾-inch rough rounds. Place truffles on a plastic wrap-lined plate or platter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Working quickly while truffles are cold, shape each round into a smooth ball by rolling it in the palms of your hands. Drop into cocoa powder and roll to coat. Place each finished truffle in a paper cup. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Recipe by Chef Jacquelyn Buchanan
Laura Chenel’s Chèvre