Simple Chocolate Truffles (Cook's Illustrated Recipe Test)

We previously wrote about another recipe we tested out for Cook's Illustrated, Spaghetti al Vino Blanco.  That one turned out pretty well, so I was pleased when a couple weeks back we received two more recipes to test out.   We haven't gotten around to trying one of them out, but last weekend I made the other one:  Simple Chocolate Truffles

The goal for this recipe was "a truffle that was easy to make and had a deep, pure chocolate flavor."  The technique seemed straight-forward enough:  Melt some high-quality baking chocolate (I used Ghiardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars), stir in some corn syrup, vanilla extract and cream until glossy and pudding-like, then stir in some butter, pour it into a pan lined with parchment paper, then refrigerate for awhile.  Afterward, you cut the chocolate into 1-inch pieces, roll them into balls, then roll the balls in a mix of Dutch process cocoa and confectioner's sugar to coat.  Shake off excess coating and refrigerate them in an airtight container to serve later.  The recipe directions were clear, but it was a bit of a pain trying to line a small baking dish with enough parchment paper to overlap the sides of the dish, and then to keep that flat while pouring the chocolate mixture into the dish atop the parchment paper.

The results were mixed.  I thought the truffles were good, but not what I'd call great.  We both loved the rich, chocolate flavor of the ganache filling, but Juli at first found the cocoa coating a bit too bitter, though she eventually grew to like it.   Still, while I can't say the directions or techniques were difficult, I found the process more work than warranted by the results.   Plus, honestly, the finished truffles don't really look very attractive.  

The finished Truffles

They'd probably look better with a different kind of coating, which may or may not impact my overall impression, but I think I'd still consider these truffles a bit more trouble than they're worth.  I'm planning to post about this on the Cook's Illustrated Facebook page, and I'll be interested in hearing what some of the other recipe testers had to say.