I remember the first time I made truffles without knowing what they are, how they looked like or taste like. I thumbed through a recipe book of luscious chocolate dessert and decided I wanted to make those lovely sounding things. Besides, the author of the book made them sound so darn easy, the ingredients did not look intimidating and I did not even have to bake it. At that time, I was only just starting to know the oven, scales, eggs and flour so I had just about the same amount of courage as an ostrich. My family had the same amount of courage as I did. However, the truffles turned out to be one of the most delicious tasting things I have ever made ever then.
Well, most delicious, really? I guess I am pretty biased but it was not just towards my own culinary skills definitely. I remain forevermore a chocolate lover. So anything chocolate is probably yummy although they have to pass through the selection process. I am a strictly no white chocolate, partial to milk and love only the darkest chocolate kind of person. I do not use the language of chocolate connoisseurs to explain why I love the chocolate and I do not want to pretend that I know what good chocolate is. However, what I do know is if it makes me go "OMG" in my head or if I make sounds which remotely sounds like horse grunts or if I keep saying" This is sooooo good" when I savor it, it is to me, good chocolate. I love a plain dark piece, I love rochers (dark chocolate nut clusters), I love chocolate in desserts and I definitely love a good dark chocolate truffle.
Chocolates are probably the most well-known comfort food maybe second to ice cream and the rest of the lot and they deserve their #1 place. Chocolates fix my bad days, celebrate my good days, excite my drab and boring days and the list goes on. It is like having an imaginary friend just that the friend is not imaginary and it probably will never bitch behind your back, abandon you, steal your boyfriend and probably will only disappoint you if they do not taste good. Of course for me, I will still have my Lemon BFF, so all is good.
I used the traditional way of course through the stomach to capture hearts and le bf's heart (and stomach) stood no chance against my truffles. After I gave a box of truffles to him (which he lost, leaving it behind together with my first Christmas present to him on a taxi) on our first Christmas date, he fell in love with me. No, it does not happen that way but hey, do you really want to the know the real story? After using so much truffle-bait, it somehow became somewhat of tradition to give the bf a box of truffles at Christmas. This year (or rather last year, because it is 2nd of Jan 2010 now) due to my laziness, I bought a box (late and ate one out of the box) and it is yummmms. I know because I ate one.
There is a cute little story (pardon me for using cute, I have limited vocabulary) which led me to this box of truffles. It all began with Lingyi's suggestion of eating a cheapish lunch at Maxwell and shopping at Ann Siang Hill which ended with visiting this lovely chocolate atelier before we headed home. We were walking to the train station when I spotted a sign that said Chocolate atelier and up those wooden steps we went. Pushing open the glass door, I was somewhat transported back into time for a few seconds (only because I worked at a cafe which sells amazing chocolate and things) and then I found myself looking into the face of my friend from school. I have to be honest, I was shocked. I mean how often do you pick a shop randomly and find your friend working in that shop?! Well, at least for me, it does not happen that much because I always seem to have some cafe or shop I want to check out because it is supposedly 'good' and would not be that surprised to see my friends working there (just because I have awesomely cool friends). After overcoming my initial "shock", I proceeded to try one of their truffles and being a dark chocolate "fanatic", I chose the darkest they had and after the last trace of it has been melted and incorporated into my soul, I wondered how (on earth) could I stand not eating truffles every day? Of course, I would be the size of earth if I ate truffles every day and not mentioning the fact that I am not exactly my canoeist brother or my salad-eating aunt would probably mean it would take no time for that to happen at all.
Of course, good things are meant to be shared and I spread the word about the yummms truffs. I told my truffle loving friend about these truffs and he immediately asked me, "Are they better than Royce's Nama?" I told him to try these and decide for himself! Oh and you should too! Especially for those who are looking to capture hearts, do consider truffle-bait! If you are a Susan, please buy, a Bree, please make.
Truffs.
Oh! Almost forgot. Happy 2010 everyone!
I guess my truffle journey is a bit like a mirror of pretty much everything that matter to me. Baking, food, chocolate, pretty things, family, bf, bffs, friends, surprises. Nevertheless, it is not complete, no, not without lemon. And books. and TV and ... So anyway, yay to having a new year to make all those mistakes you made last year and more yay to the new year being a good year this year filled with all sorts of things that makes you bright and shiny.
2 comments:
hey! truffles are the first sweets i tried too, way back when i was 16. know nuts about baking then but the recipe sounds entirely fool proof - NOT! mine were def not edible! ; p
the truffs looked scrumptious!
@Ying awww. i hope you had better luck with them as you get more experienced in your baking!:) yes the truffs tasted sooo yummy, go get some yourself?
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