Why You Should Never Serve Frozen Chocolate Truffles

Die-hard chocolate lovers may claim there's no wrong way to eat anything made with their beloved cocoa, but there are a few do's and don't's to ensure optimal enjoyment of specific treats. And when it comes to decadent truffles, there is a temperature misstep that can totally tank your experience — and that's serving them straight from the freezer.

While frozen hot chocolate and chocolate covered ice cream bites make great use of your coldest storage, and treats like chocolate mousse are ideal straight from the refrigerator with a good chill, chocolate truffles just don't translate well when they're served too cold. If you're familiar with what separates a bonbon from a truffle, you know that the silky ganache that composes the center of your truffle — usually made from heavy cream or butter and chocolate, often along with an additional flavoring or liqueur — is always delicious. But what really sets truffles apart is the unique, unforgettable creaminess that filling brings to the table. Truffles are designed to have that velvety, melting quality when you pop them in your mouth, but if you try to bite into one of these beautiful orbs when they're frozen, you won't have a chance to experience that transcendent texture — which makes temperature a key consideration for your best truffle tasting.

Despite the fact that their filling is typically made with dairy, it is possible to leave truffles on the counter, but be sure that the ambient temperature in the room hovers around the mid-60 degree Fahrenheit range — and also that you avoid humidity as much as possible — otherwise you may wind up with sadly sticky or melted treats. Because truffles are a bit more delicate than unfilled chocolates, they won't stay fresh quite as long; you'll want to enjoy them within about two weeks to a month from the time they're made. 

Yet while you never want to serve frozen truffles, if you do find it necessary to extend the life of your treats, you can safely freeze them for up to three months as long as they're well packaged. You can ensure this by giving your truffles a few layers of protection, storing them inside a zipper bag stashed inside an airtight container. 

If you take this route, remember that it's critical to exercise a little patience in order to defrost them properly. The best case scenario is transferring them to the fridge overnight, or at least for a few hours. Once you remove them from the fridge, give them another hour to warm up just enough — this way when you take a bite, you'll get the full effect of that legendary luscious filling at just the right moment.