Step 1

Set a small sauce pan over medium heat and add the heavy cream. Heat until the cream simmers around the edges then remove from heat. Meanwhile, break 6 ounces chocolate into pieces, reserving the remaining chocolate for later. Place the chocolate pieces in the bowl of an electric mixer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and add the extract. Let it sit for 8-10 minutes to soften the chocolate.

Step 2

Turn the mixer on low and beat the chocolate until completely smooth. Raise the mixer speed to medium if needed. Then cool the chocolate ganache in the refrigerator until very cold, at least one hour.

Step 3

Once cold, use the mixer again to whip the ganache until light, fluffy, and lighter in color. Scrape the bowl and whip again for 1 minute to insure a smooth consistency. Scoop the ganache into a large piping bag with a large round piping tip.

Step 4

Line a couple baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Then pipe the whipped ganache into 1-inch rounds on the wax paper. For hearts: Pipe a smaller mound, then drag it forward. Repeat to make a second hump next to it and drag the ganache down into a rough point. Don't worry if it looks messy. The chocolate coating smooths out imperfections. Freeze the ganache mounds on the baking sheets until rock-hard, at least one hour.

Step 5

Break the remaining 12 ounces chocolate into pieces. Melt 9 ounces of chocolate in a double-boiler over low heat. Remove from heat, and add the last 3 ounces of chocolate and stir until smooth. (This simple form of "tempering the chocolate" helps the chocolate to keep from clouding up once hardened.)

Step 6

Take only one sheet of ganache mounds out of the freezer at a time. For round mounds, press a wooden skewer into the center and dip in chocolate. Tap off the excess chocolate. Then set the chocolate truffle down on wax paper, with the skewer hole down. For hearts: Balance a heart flat on two skewers and dip in chocolate. Tap off the excess chocolate and lay on wax paper to cool and harden. Once hardened, store in an air-tight container until ready to serve. Keep at room temperature for up to one week.