Finishing Truffles

Truffles are one of the most widely made and recognized of all confections. In the United States, there is no official standard for identifying truffles, as there is in some European countries, so definitions vary. It is generally agreed, however, that truffles consist of a ganache center. And if they are to be called truffles, it is reasonable to assume that they be more or less round, like their fungi namesakes. Even within these parameters, however, truffles may be made and finished in a wide variety of ways that produce various visual styles and represent varying degrees of labor intensity.