Kakawa's Chili Truffles

Put the chocolate into a medium glass bowl.

In a medium saucepan , heat the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes, and then slowly stir the chocolate into the cream until it is smooth and completely combined. The heat of the cream should be enough to melt the chocolate, but if it is not completely melted, feel free to heat it in the microwave or over a hot water bath , just be sure to stir every few seconds or it will likely burn.

When the mixture is smooth, add in the chili powder and taste to make sure it is spicy enough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Once chilled, scoop the ganache with a spoon and roll between your palms to form a uniform sphere. At Kakawa, we weigh each ball to about 1/2-ounce. At this point, you may roll them in the cocoa powder to coat or alternatively you may chill again and dip in tempered chocolate. If at any point they get too gooey or soft, just stick them back in the refrigerator for a little while.

Cook's Notes: These will only keep for about a week in an air tight container and are best if served promptly as chocolate is sensitive to temperature and tends to absorb the flavors and smells around it.

In house we yield about 20 truffles per batch; however, the truffles may be made as large or as small as desired.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.