Cut chocolate into pieces that are no bigger than lima beans. Chocolate can be crushed with the back of a heavy skillet or chopped with an on-and-off food processor fitted with a steel blade. Alternatively, chocolate can be put in a hefty plastic bag that can be sealed.

In a saucepan, cook the cream over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture simmers. Add chocolate and stir in the salt. After turning off the heat, cover the pan and let the chocolate melt for five minutes. Blend the blend until it's smooth, then pour it into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Mixture should be chilled for four hours or overnight.

In a shallow bowl, place the cocoa powder. Scoop out two teaspoons of the mixture with the large side of a melon bailer, then carefully form it into a ball. After dipping balls in cocoa, chill for half an hour to solidify the chocolate.

• Roll the truffles in coarse sugar (colored or white), toasted coconut, or finely chopped almonds.
• To the truffle mixture, add two to four teaspoons of wine or liqueur.
• To make mocha truffles, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder or instant espresso powder.
• Grate 1 tablespoon of orange zest into the mixture.
• Roll truffles around a little nut, like a peanut or a hazelnut.
• Cover the truffles with either white, dark, or a mix of the two types of chocolate. To do this, either put chopped chocolate in a bowl that has been placed over simmering water to melt it, or put the chopped chocolate in a bowl that is safe to use in the microwave and cook it on high (100 percent power) for 20 seconds, stirring, and repeating as needed, until the chocolate is smooth and melted.