Whipped Ganache Truffles

I recently made a huge batch of truffles. A week before, I had made some whipped ganache frosting for a cake and when there was a little bit left over, I stuck it in the refrigerator. On a whim, I thought I would try using the whipped ganache to make a few truffle centers. Holy moly! Those little whipped ganache truffles were so good! The texture was so ethereal and light, creamy and smooth. When served at room temperature, as all truffles should be, the filling instantly coats your tongue the moment you break into the middle.

I was worried that the whipped ganache centers would be a lot more difficult to work with, but they're really not. You basically follow the same recipe and steps as with making regular truffle centers, but in this case you simply beat the ganache after it has thickened slightly in the refrigerator. You're looking for it to be near the consistency of room temperature cream cheese before beating it with a paddle attachment (or regular beaters) until it is fluffy and smooth. The color will lighten from the addition of air. Like when whipping cream, be careful not to over beat the mixture. Refrigerate the ganache thoroughly before using a small disher to scoop out consistent amounts, just like you would for regular truffle centers. Because it comes to room temperature more quickly, you will want to stick the scooped portions back in the refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling them into nicely shaped balls.

Because you really have to dip these truffles initially while they are cold, you absolutely must plan on dipping them more than once. After dipping the first time, let them come to room temperature before dipping a second time. This will make sure you don't end up with a cracked final shell as the truffles warm up and swell.

You can still flavor them just like regular truffles; mint, however, is absolutely divine in this application! And, guess what? Technically, you could call these "reduced calorie" truffles because when you whip the ganache, it increases in volume, thus reducing the number of calories compared to a similar sized scoop of unwhipped ganache!