Seasonal Truffles Part III

Things always seem to go in waves here at Eclipse, and this week is no exception. Call me a completionist, but I tend to take a task to beginning to end and then think to myself "well that went well, let's try it again with something else". So early last week I began this process with a new truffle and just kept on with the theme. Today I am debuting our third Seasonal Infusion this week! In fact, as I peer into my chocolate case to decide whether or not I am prepared for our Anniversary Weekend, I find that seven of twelve of the infusions we are featuring at the moment are seasonal! I promise this will be the last new truffle infusion for some time (though no worries, I still have about a dozen spices in my pantry just waiting to become chocolate-fodder).

If you read the blog regularly, you may know that I purchase my spices from a bulk Co-op who's focus is on organic specialities. I'm quite fond of the group and its make-up and can be found regularly perusing their catalog dreaming up new cocoa-concoctions. I suppose this makes me a bit of a spice addition, but as their is no culinary version of AA, its just something I need to learn to live with.

On my last order I picked up a pound of dried Sassafras, not having any idea what I might do with it. This is pretty typical, and often the spices lay around for sometime before inspiration hits. This time, however, the momentum came instantaneously. As soon as I tore the package open and wafted the earthly aroma towards my nose, I immediately associated the potential flavor with chocolate and vanilla bean. After all, Sassafras is the foundation flavor of rootbeer and complimenting that with a little vanilla is a no-brainer.

Unless you work at Eclipse. Nothing here is that simple.

Ultimately, I choose my 61% dark chocolate to make a ganache infused with the organic Sassafras, enrobed in more dark chocolate, and finished the truffle with a generous smattering of our house-made Vanilla Bean Sugar. Not too much more profound than just simple vanilla extract, but definitely Eclipsey. Our sugar is made from ground whole vanilla beans, so the resulting sugar has an earthy tone that definitely parallels that of the Sassafras.

We will showcase this truffle until it is gone, which may be before the end of the month, especially as it is one which we are sampling at the party Saturday. Come join us!

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