When I spoke with Erika Maza, Patricia Garibay and Magaly Dominguez, founders of El Vivero Macadamia, this was one of the first sweets they planned for production at the cooperative. It helps to keep a bag of ice nearby when forming truffles, touching your hands to it from time to time to keep hands cool and chocolate from becoming soft.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 3 ounces butter, at room temperature, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 8 unsalted macadamias, halved
- sifted cocoa powder for coating the truffles
Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and stir until melted. (A stainless steel bowl placed over a pot will work, too. The important thing is that the water does not touch the bowl.)
When melted, remove the chocolate from the heat and stir in the butter until incorporated. Stir in the egg yolk and corn syrup until all ingredients are combined well.
Cover the bowl of chocolate mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.
Cover a baking sheet or tray with waxed or parchment paper. Remove the chocolate from the refrigerator. Using your palms, form 16 balls of chocolate, pressing a macadamia half into the center of each.
Roll the chocolate balls in the cocoa powder, gently tapping off excess, placing each on the waxed paper as it is finished.
Store truffles in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Makes 16 truffles.
Mexican macadamia nuts: culinary gold
