# barrier fat in chocolate truffles



## newchocolatier (Oct 30, 2011)

I am trying to improve the shelf life of my truffles.  I read recently about using a barrier fat between the centers of truffles and the chocolate shell to prevent fat migration.  I read that you can use some vegetable gums and some CBEs, including cocoa butter.  Does anyone have a recipe/protocol for this or a source for the product?

Thanks,

Linda


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## nightscotsman (Sep 23, 2011)

This book by Jean-Pierre Wybauw should answer you questions:
[h1]Fine Chocolates Great Experience 3: Extending Shelf Life[/h1]

If you're doing chocolate professionally, I highly recommend all of Wybauw's books including "Fine Chocolates: Great Experience" and "Fine Chocolates 2: Ganache".


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## newchocolatier (Oct 30, 2011)

Thank you!  I have his "Great Experience" book, and I will buy his book on shelf life today.  I appreciate the source.  Linda


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Look, I've got all three, and they're great books, but.............

You're looking for the holy grail.

If you've got fat migration issues, then use milk chocolate as a barrier.  It's only the nut oils that start to migrate out, and only with dark chocolate shells.

What kind of shelf life are you after?

If you want Lindor balls then use coconut fat.

If you want 6 mths, then throw in sugar, invert sugars, sorbex, glucose and others.  You won't have a truffle, you'll have a ganache that equals a drug-store chocolate in terms of flavour and mouthfeel.

You can blow big bucks on a Stephan, or on a thermomix, but remember this:

Wine will change flavour as it ages, and usually it is better as it ages.

Ganaches will change flavour as they age--even if they are not "off"/moldy/or bad, but the flavour isn't agreeable.

The books are expensive.  There is a gold mine of information in there, but they are expensive, and you are paying mostly for glossy full colour photos and maybe about 50 pages worth of information.

And what J.P. Wybauw concludes--if you read between the lines-- is that shelf life of over 6 weeks for most cream based ganaches is only possible with sugars and preservatives.

Hope this helps


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## newchocolatier (Oct 30, 2011)

Foodpump,

I was hoping to get 2 months shelf life even with nuts like pecans. 

For me, flavour and mouthfeel trump shelf like any day.  I don't use preservatives.  I love the idea of coconut fat and milk chocolate barriers. 

Since cream based ganaches don't age well (I did not know this), I think your solution will suffice.  Thank you for helping out a newbie.  Your advice is just what I was looking for.

Linda


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Two months shouldn't be a problem with a nut based ganache, ie hazelnut paste+couverture+chopped nuts.  If using Marzipan DO NOT use icing sugar to roll out/form, as icing sugar contains a bit of starch and this will lead to fermentation problems a month or so down the road.

Hope this helps


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## rosesen (Aug 10, 2010)

What are thoughts on freezing finished chocolates?

I've heard of many that vacuum pack and shock freeze their chocolates, then thawing carefully when required.

Although this does not mean they are sitting on the shelf during extended periods of time, but rather a freezer...


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