These Easy 5-Ingredient Black Currant Chocolate Truffles balance their richness with a subtle hint of cinnamon and the bright, citrus-like notes of black currants. This little fella wanted to “squirrel” them away all for himself. I get it. Once you have one, you’ll want to do the same.

The right currants for the job

This recipe is very easy to make, but it does require a few special ingredients for optimum results. Some of my recipes are developed with specific ingredients in mind. This is one of those recipes. That doesn’t mean you can’t experiment, but it may not taste the same as intended if you substitute other ingredients for the ones listed below.

For example, this recipe calls for unsweetened, dried black currants and currant nectar. More specifically, I am talking about CurrantC brand dried black currants and currant nectar. To make these Easy 5-Ingredient Black Currant Chocolate Truffles, there really is no room for substitutions. What we think of as a currant in the states is really not a currant at all. CurrantC is the real thing, and I go into more detail on this topic in the link to my cranberry relish recipe provided below.

The currant nectar is thick, with a deep flavor that reminds me of a fine, aged balsamic vinegar. And although this recipe only calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons of the nectar, it’s strong enough to stand up to the chocolate. The addition of minced dried black currants adds a pop of brightness to balance the richness of the ganache.

These genuine black currant products have become some of my new pantry favorites. I use the dried currants in my MOstlyBakes Signature Cranberry Relish and Lemon Currant Scones. They’re also perfect for topping off oatmeal, a yogurt bowl or even a quick snack. The nectar is also a wonderful base for salad dressings. And it’s a great find for the mixologist in your family.

If you’re interested in trying these, you can either purchase them directly from CurrantC or find their products on Amazon.

Why Mexican Chocolate?

In this recipe for Easy 5-Ingredient Black Currant Chocolate Truffles I use Mexican chocolate. I like the subtle hint of cinnamon that runs through this truffle. It brings a little spice and added sweetness that play nicely with the tart, fruit notes from the currants. For this recipe, I like to use one Abuelita Hot Chocolate Tablet in combination with 10 ounces of a 60% cocoa dark chocolate chip.

Decorate truffles like a boss!

A winter wonderland setting in the forest. A squirrel has gathered a large pile of Easy 5-Ingredient Black Currant Chocolate Truffles — Squirreling away truffles

Once the ganache for these Easy 5-Ingredient Black Currant Truffles is cooled and ready to scoop, the final step is to decorate before serving. How fussy you get is really up to you. There have been times I’ve simply rolled these truffles in cocoa powder or fine crushed cocoa nibs. Both give a simple and elegant finish.

But if you’re looking to make these Easy 5-Ingredient Black Currant Truffles a little “extra”, you can brush them with luster dust. I’ve been ordering baking supplies from Country Kitchen SweetArt for over a decade. And they are my go-to source for luster dust. I typically use either gold, copper or a lovely rose gold when I decorate these truffles for the holidays.

I love the way the luster dust looks on these truffles. Because they are hand dipped, they are perfectly imperfect. You can see the swirls and peaks in each one. The luster dust highlights and blends these differences on the surface and the result is quite stunning. Each truffle becomes a unique work of art.

How do I apply the luster dust? Nothing blends like a makeup brush. That’s right. I have a set of makeup brushes that are dedicated to cake and pastry decorating. You don’t have to buy top of the line brushes; just ones that are soft and flexible. They will give you the control you need to blend the luster dust across the top of a chocolate-dipped truffle without damaging the coating. When you’re done, simply wash, dry and pack them away until your next decorating project.

Easy 5-Ingredient Black Currant Chocolate Truffles

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

truffle

Prep time

minutes

Cook time

minutes

Resting time

hours

Finishing time

minutes

This recipe yields 32 truffles.

Ingredients

For the ganache
One 3.1 oz. disk of Mexican Chocolate
10 oz. dark chocolate chips (60% cacao bittersweet chocolate)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp. CurrantC Brand unsweetened, dried currants, minced
1 1/2 tsp. CurrantC Brand currant nectar
For finishing the truffles
An additional 20 oz. of melting chocolate (dark chocolate candy wafers), cocoa powder or crushed cacao nibs (as desired)
Luster dust for finishing (if desired)

Directions

To make the ganache
In a heavy-bottom sauce pan, bring the cream to a simmer, just below the boiling point.
Add the disk of Mexican chocolate and stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture begins to resemble hot chocolate.
Remove the hot liquid mixture from the heat and add the 10 oz. of chocolate chips. With a whisk, stir constantly until the chocolate is dissolved and completely smooth.
Once the chocolate mixture is completely blended, gently mix in the currant nectar and the dried currants.
Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator in a covered container to firm up. Approximately 2 hours.
Store covered in an air-tight container for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
To finish the truffles
Use a 1″ cookie scoop or a Tablespoon to scoop out 32 truffles. Roll the ganache into tiny balls and chill in the refrigerator until ready to dip or roll.
Truffles can be rolled in cocoa powder or crushed raw cocoa nibs for a more robust, dark-chocolate flavor.
If you’d like to dip your truffles, but don’t want to fuss with tempering, you can use the following method:

Melt 20 oz of dark chocolate melting wafers. The melted chocolate should be somewhere between 88 and 91 degrees.
Hand dip the truffles in the melted chocolate and allow them to harden at room temperature. Once the chocolate has hardened, you can decorate as desired with luster dust or simply transfer to an airtight container for storage.

Notes

I don’t have a thermometer, but I’d still like to dip my truffles. How do I know if the chocolate is the right temperature for dipping? A chef I knew many moons ago once taught me a little trick about chocolate. Raise it to your bottom lip. If it’s hot on your lip, keep stirring it until it cools down. If it feels the same temperature or slightly cooler than your own body temperature, it’s ready for dipping. This is how I learned to temper chocolate. To keep things sanitary, I keep a few toothpicks or plastic spoons nearby so I’m not double dipping the whisk or spatula back into the chocolate.