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Amish Recipes - Step-by-Step: How to Make Truffle Candy

Copyright © 2020 Will Bontrager. All rights reserved.

Published by Will Bontrager Software LLC
(Willmaster.com)

Permission requests can be made at WillBontrager.com via the Contact menu item.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

How To Make Creamed White Chocolate Truffles (a step-by-step tutorial)

Kitchen Items

Measuring Cream Cheese

Kinds of Chocolate to Use

Tips for Melting Chocolate

Melting White Chocolate for Truffles

Melting Milk Chocolate for Dipping

Firming and Forming Truffles

Dipping Truffles

Drying Dipped Truffles

Appendix —

Candy Supplies

Creamed White Chocolate Truffles Recipe (no tutorial links)

The Author's Book Support, Contact Information, and Amish Recipe Site

Acknowledgments

Deborah Bailey of Barnstormer Design (BarnstormerDesign.com) tweaked the cover image and provided diplomatic, helpful feedback on the cover design.

My sister Anna Mast and her daughter, niece JoAnna Miller, were helpful — JoAnna for making Mom's recipe available in her book and Anna for the many pointers and tips she provided.

And my Mom, who was my best friend during my Amish childhood. This book would not exist without my Mom having been who she was.

Introduction

To make the milk chocolate-covered creamed white chocolate truffles in this book, the only ingredients you need are:

1. Milk chocolate.

2. White chocolate.

3. Cream cheese.

That's it.

The chocolates may be substituted with other types of chocolate. More information is in the creamed white chocolate truffles tutorial.

This truffle candy is tried and true — a taste of my Amish upbringing.

The recipe in this book is based on the Truffles recipe handed down from Mom to children and grand children, and published in Our Family's Recipes book by my niece, JoAnna Miller. (A scan of that recipe is in the Introduction chapter of Amish Recipes; Milk Chocolate-Covered White Chocolate Truffles.)

My Mom was my best friend while I was growing up. It was she who stimulated my interest in cooking. And making candy in particular.

The first book of the Amish recipes candy series, Amish Recipes; Chocolate-Covered Candy, relates incidents that happened during my Amish raising. You'll see how much Mom meant to me. As she still does. I remember her and her wisdom especially while I make candy.

The second book is Amish Recipes; Milk Chocolate-Covered White Chocolate Truffles. It was published just before this tutorial.

This third book, the tutorial, was published when it was realized some people might just want to learn how to make truffles.

Therefore, this third book is a tutorial explaining the fun process of making a delicious truffle. It is based on the step-by-step basic recipe from the truffle recipes book.

Most references to other flavors, and instructions for handling them, were removed before publishing here. The resulting tutorial is designed to give you all the information needed for learning how to make Amish recipe creamed white chocolate truffles.

When you are done with the tutorial, you know how to make scrumptious homemade milk chocolate-covered creamed white chocolate truffle candy for yourself, family, and friends.

When you have experienced the delectable taste, you are likely to want to make even more flavors.

That is when you get Amish Recipes; Milk Chocolate-Covered White Chocolate Truffles.

It has over 20 recipes for various truffle flavors. And it should be available at the same retailer or publisher where you obtained the tutorial.

I encourage you to ask any questions you have. There is a Contact page at the WillBontrager.com website.

How To Make Creamed White Chocolate Truffles — A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Making Creamed White Chocolate Truffles is a delightful experience. The tutorial guides you step-by-step.

The two chocolates that the recipe calls for may be substituted. Using the called-for chocolate tends to taste better. But for learning, use what you can easily obtain.

- White chips or white morsels may be substituted for white chocolate.

- Any chocolate chips other than white may be substituted for milk chocolate.

The Creamed White Chocolate Truffles are made by stirring cream cheese into melted white chocolate. The result is a creamed white chocolate. That delicious mixture is formed as truffle candy centers. The truffle candy centers are dipped in milk chocolate.

For your convenience, links to chapters in this book with more information about specific aspects of the recipe are interspersed among the tutorial steps. They are there to clear up any questions you might have about how to do something.

The truffle center, before being dipped, is a simple taste, but delightful — the taste of creamed white chocolate.

The Amish-recipe creamed white chocolate truffle candy centers, formed, ready for dipping.

After the truffle candy center is dipped in milk chocolate, the taste may take you to an extra dimension.

The creamed white chocolate tastes how an imaginary "white milk chocolate" would if it was available. And that goodness is coated with regular milk chocolate.

The creamed white chocolate truffle candy dipped in milk chocolate.

When you make this truffle for your family and (if any candy is left over) for your friends, you may become known as the candy magician.

Delicious? Yes!

Yummy? Absolutely!

The Kitchen Items chapter in this book contains a list of utensils and such to have available when preparing to make Amish-recipe truffles.

Ready for yummy?

Come along and do the steps.

(The Appendix has a reprint of this Creamed White Chocolate Truffles recipe, in general recipe format and without links to the information steps.)

Recipe: Creamed White Chocolate Truffles

This is a small-portion recipe. If you wish, you may double the measurements.

These three ingredients are used to make creamed white chocolate truffles.

Here is the ingredients list.

1/2 ounce cream cheese

1/2 cup white chocolate

3/4 cup milk chocolate

Here are links to basic information you may wish to view before following the step-by-step instructions.

Measuring Cream Cheese describes how I measure cream cheese.

Consult the Kinds of Chocolate to Use chapter for information about the types of white chocolate that may be used. Also for information about chocolate that may be used instead of milk chocolate.

The recipe instructions that follow will require melting of chocolate. Read the Tips for Melting Chocolate chapter for basic information about melting chocolate for these recipes. (The white chocolate and the milk chocolate each have unique melting guides. They are linked further below, where the information is needed.)

Step-by-step instructions for making Creamed White Chocolate Truffles

Step 1 —

Melt the white chocolate. During the melting, you will need a small plate and 2 spoons to work with the white chocolate during the melting process.

Melting White Chocolate for Truffles has helpful information.

Step 2 —

Stir the melted white chocolate and the cream cheese together. When blended, you'll have a truffle candy mixture.

Notice as you stir in the cream cheese, the melted white chocolate changes texture. You'll end up with a thicker mixture.

Step 3 —

Re-blend the mixture every 5 minutes or less while the mixture firms up. You'll notice the texture continues to change. Eventually (timing depending on ambient temperature and humidity, probably 15−30 minutes), you should get a smooth candy.

Step 4 —

Prepare a wax paper-lined plate to receive the candy centers when they are firm enough to shape.

Step 5 —

When the truffle mixture is firm enough to do so, form bite-size rounds for candy centers. Place the formed truffle candy centers on the prepared plate.

The formed truffle candy centers will need to stand in a coolish, dry place until they become firm enough to dip without losing their shape or falling apart.

The Firming and Forming Truffles chapter goes into detail about how to firm truffles and, when firm, forming them to prepare for later dipping.

Step 6 —

When the formed truffle candy centers have reached your preferred firmness, melt the milk chocolate in preparation for dipping.

Hints and tips are in the Melting Milk Chocolate for Dipping chapter.

Step 7 —

Prepare a wax paper-lined plate to receive the milk chocolate-covered truffles.

Step 8 —

Using a fork or small spoon, dip a truffle center into the melted milk chocolate, making sure the center is coated all the way around. Gently place it on the prepared plate.

The Dipping Truffles chapter has information needed to do the dipping.

Step 9 —

Dip each of the formed truffle candy centers, one at a time.

Step 10 —

Let the milk chocolate-covered truffles dry.

Drying Dipped Truffles has some truffle-drying hints.

Congratulations. You made chocolate-covered truffles!

When the truffles have dried so they are no longer sticky, you have eminently edible truffle candy — creamed white chocolate dipped in milk chocolate.

You know, or will with your first taste, that these truffles are levels higher in satisfaction than candy purchased in a general store's candy section.

There are many more flavors to make and taste. Get the Amish Recipes; Milk Chocolate-Covered White Chocolate Truffles book for over 20 recipes. (It also contains a how−to very much like this tutorial.)

When you and your family are satisfied, consider sharing with friends.

This is a goodness.

Kitchen Items

In addition to the ingredients, you will need these kitchen items to make the milk chocolate-covered truffles in this book.

- Either a microwave or a baking oven
(to melt the chocolate).

- 2 plates
(8-inch or larger diameter, one to hold the truffle centers and the other to hold the truffles after they are dipped).

- Either wax paper or a tiny bit of butter
(to either line or thinly butter the plates).

- 3 bowls (microwavable or oven-proof). At least one needs to have a 3−cup or larger capacity. The other two must have a capacity of 2−cups or larger. Two of the bowls are for mixing the truffles and the larger one is for dipping.

- 4 spoons and 2 small plates
(used when melting chocolate).

- A dinner fork or small spoon
(used when dipping).

Measuring Cream Cheese

Each ounce of cream cheese is approximately 2 tablespoons. A 1−tablespoon measuring spoon can be used to measure 1/2 ounce cream cheese.

Although it should be close, the measurement for the truffle candy does not need to be exact.

Instead of using tablespoon measurements, I generally cut a chunk of cream cheese for the appropriate weight.

The cream cheese I use comes in 8 ounce slabs. I divide the slab into approximately 1-ounce chunks. For 1/2 ounce, a 1-ounce chunk is cut in half.

How I cut an 8-ounce slab of cream cheese.

In the image, you can see how I divide it.

1. Cut the 8-ounce slab in half. You now have 2 chunks of 4 ounces each.

2. Cut the 4-ounce chunks in half. You now have 4 chunks of 2 ounces each.

3. Take one of those 2-ounce chunks (the others can be used later) and cut that one in half. You now have 3 chunks of 2 ounces, and 2 chunks of 1 ounce each.

4. To get a 1/2 ounce measure of cream cheese, cut one of the 1-ounce chunks in half.

Kinds of Chocolate to Use

White Chocolate

White chocolate is made with various amounts of cocoa butter. White chips (sometimes called white morsels) have no cocoa butter at all.

The white chips and perhaps also white chocolate may be purchased from your regular grocery store.

The Amish often, although not always, use the Blommer Kreemy White Chocolate obtained in 10# blocks or 50# cases. It is the white chocolate I generally use for making truffles. A distributor is mentioned in Appendix — Candy Supplies.

Any white chocolate or white chips can be used. Just realize that the quality of the white chocolate can make a lot of difference in taste.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate, too, is made with various amounts of cocoa butter. And quality varies. As does taste.

Although the recipes in this book call for milk chocolate, other kinds of chocolate may be used. As an example, chocolate baking chips/morsels (that can be purchased from a regular grocery store) may be used. Or dark chocolate.

For milk chocolate, the Amish generally use Blommer Kinzie Milk Chocolate obtained in 10# blocks or 50# cases. It is what I like to use. A distributor is mentioned in Appendix — Candy Supplies.

Tips for Melting Chocolate

Melting chocolate requires patience. There is simply no way to hurry up chocolate and keep the quality steadfast.

Use only dry utensils. Keep hands dry. Chocolate is extremely sensitive to water. It will seize up, crumble, and refuse to cooperate. Don't ever add water to chocolate, not even one little itty bitty drop, unless a recipe explicitly says to do so.

As mentioned, patience is important. Try not to melt chocolate when you feel rushed or in a hurry. Somehow, the chocolate knows and provides less cooperation than when it is cajoled along with patience and humor.

It is best to melt chocolate when the ambient humidity is not extremely high. If you can avoid it, don't melt chocolate when it is raining or when there is a dense fog. The moisture in the air that gets into the house may affect your chocolate.

Two ways to melt chocolate are presented here, the oven method and the microwave method.

Whichever method you choose, remember that chocolate can burn, and does so easily. It can turn crumbly or into something with a gooey consistency that will hardly coat anything and may stay sticky no matter how long you let it dry.

For thick coating — like Mom used to prefer and also is my preference — melt chocolate only to the point where the candy center can be dipped into it easily. A more melted and thinner chocolate would result in a thinner coating.

Mom had a reason to cover her candies with a thick coating of chocolate — because people like it that way.

The Oven Method

For melting chocolate in the oven, the temperature needs to be no more than 180°F (82°C).

A separate oven thermometer, the kind you set or hang on the oven rack, can be used to verify oven temperature. If your oven won't steady down at 180°F/82°C or lower, then the microwave method may be the best option.

Put chocolate pieces or chips in an oven-proof bowl. Then, into the oven.

Every 3 to 5 minutes during melting pricess, give the chocolate a gentle stir, enough to move the chocolate around and mingle the warmer areas with the cooler. The idea is to spread the heat, gently.

Put the chocolate back into the warm oven immediately after stirring. Keeping it out will let it cool down, which then requires more time for the melting.

A separate spoon can be used to scrape excess chocolate off the spoon used for the stirring. The two spoons can be kept on a plate where they are handy.

Remember that chocolate does not at all like to be hurried. The higher the oven temperature, the more you need to pay attention to the chocolate so it doesn't overheat.

When melted to your preferred consistency, move the bowl onto a not-cold surface — room temperature or a bit warmer should be fine — for use according to the recipe you are following.

The oven may be maintained at melting temperature in case the chocolate needs to be re-warmed sometime during its use.

The Microwave Method

For recipe inventing and testing, I generally use an appliance that the traditional Amish lifestyle has no access to — the microwave. It is a faster procedure for small batches.

Put chocolate pieces or chips into a microwavable bowl.

Microwave once for 20 seconds (just once!), or perhaps 30 seconds if the amount of chocolate is a cupful or more. If less than a cup of chocolate, just 20 seconds this first time.

Stir to gently move the chocolate around and spread the heat and discourage hot spots.

A separate spoon can be used to scrape excess chocolate off the spoon used for the stirring. The two spoons can be kept on a plate where they are handy.

Microwave again, this time for 15 seconds. Do another stir, the same gentle way.

From this point on, microwave and stir in 10 second intervals. Resist any temptation to microwave for longer periods.

After stirring, put the chocolate back into the microwave immediately so it doesn't cool down more than necessary.

After some 10−second microwave−and−stir steps — perhaps eight or more if the amount of chocolate is at least a cup — the chocolate should be melted enough for using according to the recipe you are following.

If the chocolate gets too thick while being used, it may be microwaved another 10 second interval, and stirred — perhaps several times.

Melting White Chocolate for Truffles

Before melting white chocolate, it is helpful to become familiar with the Tips for Melting Chocolate chapter.

When ready to melt white chocolate for truffles, use a microwavable or oven-proof bowl (depending on your melting method). The bowl needs to be large enough to accomodate stirring together the white chocolate and cream cheese.

Measure white chocolate chips or pieces into the bowl.

Melt and stir the chocolate only enough so all clumps and pieces have been dissolved. The chocolate needs to be fully dissolved. If tiny (or larger) partially solid pieces remain, they are likely to be visible as white spots within the truffle candy center, especially if it is a colored center.

The melted white chocolate is now ready for the rest of the truffle ingredients.

Melting Milk Chocolate for Dipping

Before melting milk chocolate, become familiar with the Tips for Melting Chocolate chapter.

Put milk chocolate chips or milk chocolate pieces into a bowl — microwavable or oven-proof, depending on your melting method. The bowl should be large enough to stir the milk chocolate during the melting process. And also large enough to accomodate the activity of dipping the candy centers without spilling over.

The milk chocolate needs to be melted enough so truffles can be dipped.

How much the milk chocolate is melted — how thin or thick the chocolate is — affects how thick the covering will be when the candy is dipped.

My preference is a thick melt for a thick chocolate covering. Conversely, the thinner the melt, the thinner the coating tends to be.

For the thickest coating, stop or pause the melting process when only a few tiny chocolate particles remain unmelted. Stir the milk chocolate to melt those last particles. Then proceed with dipping.

Firming and Forming Truffles

Truffles are the candy center that, when ready, will be dipped in milk chocolate. (After dipping, they are still called truffles.)

Firming

When mixing the truffle ingredients together, the white chocolate will be melted. The cream cheese may be soft.

When stirring the mixture together, blend it well so the cream cheese will be throughly distributed through the white chocolate. It is preferable not to end up with tiny chunks of cream cheese.

As you stir the ingredients together, the mixture will get thicker and change texture.

When the mixture is stirred together and well blended, it is still too soft for forming into round truffle centers in preparation for dipping.

Put the bowl containing the mixture in a dry area to firm up.

Every 5 minutes or less, during the mixture firming process, completely blend the mixture into itself to commingle the dryer part with the rest. After one or several blendings, the texture changes and becomes smoother.

The mixture will gradually get firmer.

A cooler temperature causes the mixture to firm faster. Depending on temperature, it may take less than an hour to firm up, perhaps less than 30 minutes. Or even less than 15. With less-than-ideal conditions, it may take a few hours.

Because they don't have air conditioning, the Amish generally make their chocolate candy when the weather temperatures are low enough to cool food in a non-heated enclosed porch. It can firm the mixture quickly. Unlike kitchen appliance refrigerators (which they also don't have), winter days generally are low humidity, more so than most days of other seasons.

Note: Because a refrigerator has high humidity, use it only if you are in a hurry to firm the mixture quickly. Refrigerated mixture will firm fast, so completely blend the mixture into itself every 3 minutes or less.

Forming

When the mixture is firm enough to form round, bite-size rounds for candy centers, they are ready to form. The mixture should be pliable, like a child's playdough or play clay. It may be quite soft. So long as it can be formed into a roundish shape, it is firm enough.

Formed truffle candy centers.

The truffles should be formed no less than 1/2 inch in diameter and no more than 1−1/2 inches in diameter.

If less than 1/2 inch in diameter, the amount of milk chocolate compared to the truffle candy center may overwhelm the taste the truffle would have provided. Conversely, if they are more than 1−1/2 inches in diameter, the truffle candy center may overwhelm the taste of the milk chocolate that it will eventually be dipped in.

Remember, the truffle candy centers do not need to be perfectly shaped. Later, they will be covered with milk chocolate, which doesn't care what it covers — egg-shaped, squarish, or other shaped or misshapen candy.

As you form each one, place the truffle candy center on a plate lined with wax paper.

The centers will be too soft to dip at this point.

Let them stand in a coolish, dry place until the formed truffles become firm enough to dip in milk chocolate — firm enough so they don't lose their shape or fall apart during the dipping process. This may be 15 minutes to an hour or more, depending on ingredients, temperature, and humidity.

(Do not use a refrigerator at this point. Refrigerators are too moist. Further, cold truffles could dry the milk chocolate covering too fast when they are dipped, perhaps cracking the covering or, in the near future, develop discoloring with lighter-brown spots.)

When the formed truffle candy centers have dried enough so they won't fall apart, they are ready for dipping in milk chocolate.

The sooner the centers are dipped after they are ready, the softer they tend to remain. If you prefer soft insides, dip them as soon as they are firm enough so they won't break. Dip them gently.

If the dipping will be delayed, overnight for example, the truffle candy centers may be covered with a plastic wrap or put into an airtight container to slow the hardening.

Dipping Truffles

Cover a plate with wax paper or a thin sheen of butter. This will be for receiving the newly-covered truffle candy centers.

Put one of the truffle centers into the bowl with the melted milk chocolate.

Use a small spoon or a fork to completely cover the center with the melted milk chocolate.

Raise the truffle candy center out of the milk chocolate with the same spoon or fork. Pause for a few seconds to let the excess chocolate drip off.

Move the utensil holding the candy to a point immediately above the plate prepared for it. Slowly tilt the utensil sideways until the milk chocolate-covered truffle slides or rolls off.

Freshly dipped truffles on a plate lined with wax paper.

When the milk chocolate-covered truffle has settled on the receiving plate, there is likely to be a bare spot where the truffle candy center shows through the chocolate covering — at the place where the candy touched the edge of the spoon or fork. There may also be other bare spots.

Use the spoon or fork to cover all bare spots with a bit of melted milk chocolate so the entire truffle is covered.

Dip the rest of the centers with the same procedure, one at a time.

If the temperature of the milk chocolate goes down enough so covering the candy is no longer easy, or the milk chocolate covering is thicker than you prefer, the coating left in the bowl may be melted a bit more with the same melting technique.

When all have been dipped, or you run out of melted milk chocolate, the freshly-dipped truffles are ready to stand and dry.

Drying Dipped Truffles

Set the dipped truffles in a dry, coolish area for them to dry and harden.

A temperature under 75°F should be cool enough, so long as the atmosphere is not overly damp.

How long it takes depends on temperature, type of chocolate, and ambient humidity. Drying time may be anywhere from 15 minutes to some hours.

If the ambient atmosphere has a high humidity level, it will take longer to dry. The outdoor humidity can affect the humidity in the house.

Do not dry the truffles in a refrigerator unless they will be consumed within minutes of being removed from the cold. The reason is the high humidity inside the refrigerator. The cool temperature may harden the coating quickly. But once removed and brought into a warm environment, the coating soon will get sticky.

Patience generally is best.

When dried too fast or in a high-humidity environment, the cocoa butter in the chocolate may soon start to slowly separate; which changes the dipped candy's color to (generally) a lighter shade of brown or grayish, usually in spots. It is still good to eat — it just looks less perfect.

Patience in drying and proper storage (cool, low-humidity) tends to result in candy that remains attractive for a long time.

Appendix

Candy Supplies

Chocolates can be obtained from grocery stores, specialized chocolate stores, and other types of stores, including online.

There is one supplier we use more than any other for chocolates, the same store where many of the Amish buy chocolate for making candy. The supplier is Walnut Creek Cheese. (Walnut Creek is the name of a town in Ohio, USA.) Walnut Creek Cheese sells more than just the cheese the company name implies.

Their website is WalnutCreekCheese.com

The Blommer chocolates mentioned in this book (Blommer Kreemy White Chocolate and Blommer Kinzie Milk Chocolate) probably won't be found listed on their website. But they've always had it in stock when I needed to place an order.

Give them a call. Their phone number is on the website. It has been my experience that they are happy to take orders by telephone.

Creamed White Chocolate Truffles

This is just the recipe, no tutorial links.

It is a small-portion recipe. If you wish, you may double the measurements.

1/2 cup white chocolate

1/2 ounce cream cheese

3/4 cup milk chocolate

Melt the white chocolate. During the melting, you will need a small plate and 2 spoons to work with the white chocolate during the melting process.

Stir the melted white chocolate and the cream cheese together. When blended, you'll have a truffle candy mixture.

Notice as you stir in the cream cheese, the melted white chocolate changes texture. You'll end up with a thicker mixture.

Re-blend the mixture every 10 minutes or less while the mixture firms up.

Prepare a wax paper-lined plate to receive the candy centers when they are firm enough to shape.

When the truffle mixture is firm enough to do so, form bite-size rounds for candy centers. Place the formed truffle candy centers on the prepared plate.

The formed truffle candy centers will need to stand in a coolish, dry place until they become firm enough to dip without losing their shape or falling apart.

When the formed truffle candy centers have reached your preferred firmness, melt the milk chocolate in preparation for dipping.

Prepare a wax paper-lined plate to receive the milk chocolate-covered truffles.

Using a fork or small spoon, dip a truffle center into the melted milk chocolate, making sure the center is coated all the way around. Gently place it on the prepared plate.

Dip each of the formed truffle candy centers, one at a time.

Let the milk chocolate-covered truffles dry.

When the truffles have dried so they are no longer sticky, you have eminently edible truffle candy — creamed white chocolate dipped in milk chocolate.

You know, or will with your first taste, that these truffles are levels higher in satisfaction than candy purchased in a general store's candy section.

It is a goodness.

The Author's Book Support, Contact Information, and Amish Recipe Site

WillBontrager.com is the author's website.

All sections of the WillBontrager.com website referred to here are listed as main menu items. Section links aren't published here because they might change sometime after you acquire this book. Tap on the relevant menu item at the website and you will be good to go.

To ask questions or comment about this book, use the Contact menu item. Expect a response because I do so much enjoy talking with my readers. The Contact menu item is where I can be contacted for any reason, whether or not related to this book.

There is an Amish Recipes section at the website that you might enjoy. You'll find, as a person would expect, Amish recipes. You'll also find Amish cooking techniques. And stories from my youth.

~

Thank you for purchasing this book.

If you have the opportunity to do so, please leave a review of this book at the website where it was purchased. Reviews are appreciated.

I wish you much sweet success.

/s/ Will Bontrager
WillBontrager.com