If standard chocolate tops the list of dessert favored by most people, chocolate truffles are in a league of their own. Chocolate truffles have held a place in history as being a treat reserved only for the wealthy, and when they were first invented in the late 1800's, this was true. Today, however, there's a truffle for every lover of chocolate.

The misconception commonly held today is that any piece of chocolate containing a filling is a truffle, but the genuine chocolate truffle adheres to a strict recipe. Chocolate truffles are rich and elegant petite-fours. They are made by rolling ganache (a mixture of rich chocolate and heavy cream) into balls which resemble the shape of the mushroom truffles which lent their name to this dessert. The balls of ganache are then rolled in cocoa powder, and the tradition chocolate truffle is born.

Despite the fairly simple recipe, there are three distinct varieties of chocolate truffles. There is the American truffle, the European truffle, and the Swiss. The difference in the three is a result of the basic ingredients used in the ganache, as well as how the ganache is produced. American-style truffles are the most basic, and made with a combination of milk and dark chocolate, while the European variety uses a thick syrup made of cocoa powder and butter. The masters of chocolate, the Swiss, produce a chocolate truffle that is distinctly their own. Their secret ingredient is heavy dairy cream, and it makes the Swiss-style truffles some of the most fabulously decadent to be found.

While chocolate truffles tend to make a delightful dessert all on their own, they are also used in the culinary crafting of other sweet treats. Chocolate truffles today can be of the basic variety, semi-sweet, or liquor based, and the choice of ingredient affects what other recipes they will be used for. Today's truffles can be found in everything from the most fancy dessert dishes to the basic cookie.

The chocolate truffle recipe can be used to bake a delicious chocolate truffle torte. The torte is a dish similar to the truffle in that it is very rich, uses relatively few ingredients, and generally has a filling of some kind. The truffle tart also keeps within the tradition of the basic chocolate truffle by using semi-sweet chocolate to make the ganache for the center of the tart. Yet another elegant dessert that takes a tip from the chocolate truffle is the souffle.

If your taste in chocolate truffles leans more towards the classic, Americana variety of dessert, do not fret for you have not been forgotten! You have your choice of chocolate truffle cheesecake, rich and creamy chocolate truffle pie, or sinfully sweet chocolate truffle cookies. A popular ice cream manufacturer has even gotten on the truffle boat, and produces a truffle inspired ice cream bar.

Despite the fact that the dessert once reserved for the elite is now a dessert for the every-man, it is important to use high-quality ingredients when crafting any truffle-inspired dish in your kitchen. The quality of the ingredients has a direct effect on the taste of the final product. Spend the extra few dollars on top-notch chocolate. Your taste buds will thank you.