Mexican Mole Truffles

authentic Mole usually has a zillion ingredients.

with all it's many layers of complex flavors, it seems to be one of the "mother sauces" of Mexican food

AND everybody's Mother has their own interpretation of this classic "mother sauce".

being that mole is well known for it's chocolate enhancement...

i thought why not make a MOLE TRUFFLE ?

to keep with the mole tradition of a zillion ingredients, i tried to add in as many of the classic ingredients as possible.  i know it sounds involved, but the flavors hit you in layers and you can almost taste each one as the chocolate melts and lingers on the palate.

OR in a nut shell...

it's a darn GOOD CHOCOLATE  BALL

MEXICAN MOLE TRUFFLES

1 Valrhona 61% dark chocolate bar...8.5 oz....chopped small

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp whipping cream

1/2 - 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1/2 - 3/4 tsp ground cumin, rounded

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1/2 rounded tsp Mexican oregano

1/2 rounded tsp espresso powder

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ancho chili powder

1-2 tsp molasses

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

15 raisins, chopped...more (softened) if adding into truffle.
roasted salted almonds and cocoa powder for rolling

put chopped chocolate in a glass bowl and set aside.

in a small sauce pan add the cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, chipotle, oregano, espresso powder, cloves, ancho chili powder and raisins.  bring to an "almost boil"...turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent a skin on top.

bring temperature back to almost boil...just bubbling around the sides.

pour cream mixture over chocolate THROUGH A STRAINER.  lightly press what you can through the strainer.

begin stirring from the middle.  as the mixture comes together, stir all around to incorporate.  add vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and molasses.  stir to incorporate.  TASTE TEST.  you might  need a little more...something...you be the judge.

let it sit for a bit.  when it's getting close to room temp give it another stir and stick it in the fridge...UNCOVERED.  in an hour or so come back to it,  COVER IT and leave it for a few hours or over night is better.  it should be completely set.

when ready to roll, bring it out of the fridge for a while until it is a bit more pliable or easy to scoop.   roll into 3/4 inch balls using thin rubber gloves.  gloves make this process much easier and less messy, trust me...go get some.  at this point you can roll them in cocoa powder, chopped roasted salted almonds or dip in tempered dark chocolate.  please DO take the time to temper your chocolate if dipping.  check here for some tips and tricks i've learned so far and check here for some good tempering info.
keep truffles in the fridge and re-roll in cocoa powder if necessary just before serving for a fresh look.  truffles are best texture at room temp.

NOTE...for the first batch i strained the raisins out...but for the second batch i added in some soft raisins, chopped small.

ALSO...i have found that brands of good chocolate behave differently.  Valrhona seems to be a harder set than Guittard Coverture and Scharffenberger.  not to worry they all set and are delicious...but i DO recommend using Guittard "coverture"dark chocolate for dipping.

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