How to make your own homemade chocolate and hazelnut truffles, Rocher style. Easy, no bake and great for making with kids.
Extra Crunchy & Nutty Truffles
As I got the ball rolling with chocolate hazelnut macarons for holiday gifts this weekend, Julie and Lucie had other ideas on the side. Shopping for macaron ingredients at our local supermarket, they were instead eyeing the shiny, festive towers of Ferrero Rocher's golden foil-wrapped little crunchy milk chocolate hazelnuts.
Lucie remembered seeing a recipe for Rochers at home, in a tiny little book that came with a cute bear mould (which they have never used, alas) in her stocking last Christmas. With the advance thought of her dental brace being put in today, it was essential in her book to cram in as many sweet - and especially crunchy treats - as possible before she had to em-brace (sorry!) the orthodontist's less than sweet, strict toothy diet restrictions.
Chocolate Hazelnut Rochers
Adapted from L'atelier Oursons & Guimauves by Aline Caron. To make them extra crunchy and nutty, we toasted the hazelnuts in the oven first (extra step but so worth it). We also coated them in dark chocolate, although the recipe calls for milk chocolate, if you prefer.
With some leftover crushed hazelnuts, it's an ideal decoration for chocolate hazelnut macarons (recipe in Mad About Macarons): just brush on some chocolate ganache and sprinkle the nuts on top.
For the best presentation, place each rocher in mini bright foil cases for festive effect. In our case, they were pounced on so fast, it wasn't even necessary.
Chocolate Hazelnut Rocher Truffles
Ingredients
Milk Chocolate Ganache
- 200 g (7oz) milk chocolate
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream 30% fat
- 30 whole hazelnuts
Chocolate Hazelnut Coating
- 100 g (3.5oz) dark chocolate 60% cacao
- 100 g (3.5oz) hazelnuts crushed
- 2 tablespoon broken wafer biscuits (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Ganache
- Heat the tiny bit of cream in a saucepan (yes, it does look so little but trust me, this is correct!) and add the broken bits of milk chocolate. Using a whisk, once the chocolate has melted, take off the heat and, using a balloon whisk, mix quickly until you have a mixture that resembles a gorgeous, chocolatey putty.
- Using a teaspoon and your fingers, break off a walnut size of milk chocolate 'putty', roll it in the palm of your hands into a ball. Push a toasted hazelnut into the centre and roll again, ensuring that the hazelnut is completely covered. Complete the process until you have 30 balls then chill in the fridge for about 40 minutes.
Hazelnut Coating
- Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water (bain-marie). As soon as the chocolate has melted, take off the heat and leave to cool slightly. Meanwhile, crush the hazelnuts (and wafers, if using) in a food processor (or place them in a bag and bash them using a rolling pin) then place them in a round bowl.
- Dip the cooled rocher balls into the chocolate and immediately roll them in the crushed hazelnuts.
- Place the rocher chocolate nutty truffles on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and leave to set at room temperature for 1½ hours.
- Heat the oven to 180°C and roast all the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. If you prefer, you could wipe off the skins using a tea towel.
Notes
Enrique
This rocher truffles looks good you can post other candy recipes of the book of L'atelier oursond and guimauves,pleace.thanks
Lucie
I wish you could make these rocher again, they were so much fun to make and especially to eat 😉 🙂
Lora
Both the candy and the macs = wow!
Shirley Moffat
Another super recipe Jill - it is nice to make something different at Christmas as it is so easy to buy everything but I think we all appreciate items that have been home made. I am sure Julie and Lucie loved helping you make these sweets!!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures
These look way better then rocher truffles!
Jen
Ooh I love those things! I never thought to make my own...
Jamie
(oooh I love the macaron ball christmas decorations!!). These rocher truffles look outrageously good and I'll bet they are even better than the store bought. Fabulous... and they balance out perfectly with macs! I really do want to make some (only because they are pretty and because I love them so much).
And macs under the tree? Well... on the tree? Chocolate and coffee but for the holidays they must be sprayed with gold! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours, dear Jill!
Jill
Hope you enjoy them, Jamie. Thanks for all your lovely comments and support on le blog. It's you that's sprayed in gold this festive season! Cheers to delicious adventures in 2014!
Vicki Bensinger
Ooh I love these Jill but please tell me what is the equivalent to a dessert spoon in U.S. measurements? My husband would love these as would the rest of us.
Jill
I've updated the recipe, Vicki. It's a tablespoon.
Enjoy them and have a wonderful holiday!
Marilyn Smiser
My macarons turned out. Feet and no cracking. I have to credit "Mad About Macarons".
Merci
Jill
Thank you for getting in touch, Marilyn. If that's your first recipe from the book, there's no stopping you now! Enjoy yourself.
Marilyn Smiser
As I am reading this, my first recipe out of your book - macarons are doing their 30 minute wait till the oven. My fingers are crossed. Yours look great.