The Unexpected Culinarian: A Box of Chocolate

For the past three days, we have been working on creating a variety of truffles and an original design chocolate box. Take a look at these stunning desserts!

THE BOX

Semi-Sweet, Bitter-Sweet, Milk, and White Chocolate Box

The box started with a preliminary design and homemade stencils. With the help of textured acetate sheets, I was able to incorporate textures along with my design. I decided to replicate a two tone wall-painting job, by brushing tempered dark chocolate in deliberate strokes across the acetate. I then poured tempered milk chocolate over the settle dark to create an interesting combination of texture and color. I designed a box with an opening on the top to create a peekaboo effect. I used golden pearl dust to enhance the white chocolate trim and added bittersweet chocolate embellishments about the edges. At the right-hand corner of the opening I created a white chocolate magnolia. Each petal was created by dipping three different sized balloons into tempered white chocolate.

Another View

Close up of the Detail and Texture

Truffles Inside

THE TRUFFLES

The Mix of Truffles

Chocolate Orange
In all honesty, I have never fancied the well-loved chocolate orange combination. I blame the gross, waxy chocolates that come out during the winter holidays. My dislike lingered through the years until this week--the day we learned to make our own chocolate orange truffles. In place of the Grand Marnier, I increased the amount of orange zest and infusion time. The result was fantastic--life changing, really. It was as though my lifelong dislike of orange chocolate completely vanished as soon as the smooth, rich texture graced my tongue with its incredible flavor. For the exterior, I used dark chocolate with a golden bronze luster dust.

Chocolate Orange Truffles

Passion Fruit
Our recipe packet included a truffle filling using cassis (or black currant). In demonstration Chef used passion fruit puree which was so wonderful, I had to follow suit. The exterior is dark chocolate which provides a nice balance with the tartness of the passion fruit. The bon bon is only slightly brushed with a gold luster dust to provide a somewhat aged and aesthetically beautiful look and feel.

Passion Fruit Truffle

Strawberry
As I was creating the passion fruit truffle filling, the thought of substituting strawberry and lemon in place of the passion fruit came to mind. I finished the passion fruit filling and asked Chef whether I could make another batch using strawberry and some fresh lemon (to offset the intense sweetness of the strawberry puree). With his permission I made the extra recipe. This truffle is coated in tempered white chocolate that is brushed with a super pearl dust mixed with a little bit of pink luster dust.

Strawberry Truffles

Chocolate Coconut
The chocolate coconut truffle was supposed to be a Port truffle. In place of the alcohol, I mixed in coconut puree which added a subtle flavor highly less offensive than that of mounds or almond joy chocolate bars. These truffles were rolled by hand and hand dipped in dark chocolate.

Chocolate Coconut Truffles

Coffee
For the hand-cut and dipped coffee truffles, I used a coffee substitute so I guess it would be more accurate to say these are pseudo-coffee truffles. Ha! I'm sure the substitute mimics the correct flavor; but whether it did or did not, the taste was impeccable. It combined white and dark chocolates and was hand dipped in bitter-sweet chocolate after in was cut into small rectangles. A multi-colored transfer sheet was used to add a unique garnish.