Baci Perugina - Hazelnut Choco Truffles for WHB # 333

 la ricetta in italiano qui

Have you ever heard about Baci Perugina?
They are one of the older and most popular Italian chocolate treat,  born in Perugia in 1922 and first named punches due to their irregular shape. But soon changed in Baci (Kisses) a short word, incisive, to show what a world of love and warm cuddles choccolate can give.
An embracing   couple (apparently inspired by the famous Hayez' painting), a starry sky, sweet love messages inside (a transparent vellum on which quotes from famous authors are printed): they soon became a symbol and messenger of love in all its expressions: the cult gift for the most important anniversary, Mother's Day, Valentines, coming to be protagonists even on Christmas Day, the most celebrated family-size feast.
And Baci flyewhigher and higher: in 1997, for 90th Perugina's Anniversary, an Alitalia jumbo was entirely decorated with stars and connected Rome Fiumicino Airport to New York JFK.

The story says that the Kiss was an idea by Luisa Spagnoli (an Umbrian businesswoman, famous for her brand of women’s fashion clothing and wife of a founder of Perugina): she would not waste the fragments of hazelnut used for other preparations, so she combined with additional chocolate and first truffles were born, punches. But urban legends abound, and some people  mischievously say that kisses were created by Luisa to please her young lover Giovanni Buitoni, son of a member of the company. She used to sent him love messages written on little papers wrapped around chocolates.

Since I was a child a box of Baci has always been present in a family member's return, a celebration, a small party: no doubt it still is a love message for everybody.
The recipe has never changed and hope will not in the future, still gives a sublime moment of happiness, a sort of instant warm hug if you are feeling down.

I should not say, but use excellent quality chocolate to have the best truffles you have ever tasted :-).

guess the original and the homemade :-)

The short message inside:

Nelle donne ogni cosa è cuore, anche la testa.

In women everything is heart, event the head.

En les mujeres todo es corazon, incluso la cabeza. 

Bei den Frauen ist alles Herz, sogar der Verstand.

J.P. Richter

For about 25/28 chocolates:

150 g peeled and lightly toasted hazelnuts *
130 g spreadable hazelnut cream (better an organic one than Nutella :-)
50 g milk chocolate
30 g dark chocolate 60/70%
30 g white chocolate
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

about 150/200 g  chocolate 60/70% for glazing

* set aside 25/28 to decorate the chocolates

In a mixer chop remaining hazelnuts and set aside, then finely chop all chocolates.
In a bowl combine chocolate, hazelnuts and cocoa powder and mix well with a spatula. Let cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Shape into little balls (smaller than a walnut, mine were too big compared with the original  :-) and place them on parchment paper. Set a nut on each ball, pressing slightly.
At this point the truffles must thicken to be easily dipped in melted chocolate: put it in the refrigerator covered for 3/4 hours or in the freezer for half an hour.

Melt coverage chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave  (paying attention it won't burn, one minute at high power then stir, another minute until completely melted), wait a few minutes to cool a little, then dip each truffle helping with a flat steel spatula (like the one used to spread butter) and place on parchment paper. Do not use toothpicks as they might leave holes in the chocolate.
I put on a rack but I was wrong, then you would get all stripes at the bottom, truffles would be unstable and have to level with a knife.
Put to thicken in the refrigerator and store then in a sealed box because the chocolate easily absorbs any flavors.

Wrap individually or serve in little paper cup, a very nice gift idea.

 I tried to dip some in white chocolate (not o successfully :-) as you should find the right temperature of the chocolate as the dark one might melt a little while dipping and get the white one dirty. I suppose it's better to keep the dough as clear as possible, using only milk chocolate and light cocoa powder.

 (that box was for peanut brittle, I did not realize some caramel was still on the inside edge :-)

This recipe is my personal entry to WHB # 333

  for English edition I am hosting this week.
Thanks again to Haalo who manages greatfully all events,
to Bri for Italian edition.
Thanks again to Kalyn for her successfull idea!
Who's hosting
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