Name: Chocolate Truffles
Prep time: 20 min
Ingredients: 250g dark chocolate, broken into pieces (I use 70-74% cocoa solids); 150g fresh double/heavy cream; 20g unsalted butter; ⅛ teaspoon fine salt; sieved cocoa

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Velvety and smooth, these dark chocolate truffles, rolled in cocoa, are a luxurious treat. I love them in the morning with a caffè latte. Or with a cup of tea in the afternoon – crikey I’ve even woofed a couple down at breakfast time! That said, these little nuggets of silky chocolate joy are very rich and are perhaps best served after dinner with an espresso.

They make wonderful gifts, but as we are unlikely to visiting anyone this New Year’s Eve, make them for yourselves to nibble on as we wait up to bring in 2021 tomorrow. I can’t wait! Here’s looking forward to a more positive year with good health, happiness, laughter and the vaccine!

How to make Chocolate Truffles

Be very careful working with chocolate!

These are very quick to make and whilst they are not difficult, you have to be very, very careful when melting chocolate and cream. If you overheat it, the sugars in the chocolate will clump together and the fat will separate from them – you will be left with a grainy mass, it is called seizing. Once this happens, silky soft truffles, you are never going to make!

Can I use seized chocolate?

Yes and No! I am naturally an impatient person and have seized many a chocolate! I also can’t bear to throw anything away! Whilst you will undoubtedly be unable to use it for truffles, you can leave it to cool and then add extra double/whipping/heavy cream and whip with an electric whisk until it comes back together, is fluffy and lighter in colour. Whipped ganache – voila! A delicious rich icing in sandwich cakes or cupcakes.

Collect the ingredients together:

dark chocolate, I use 70-74% cocoa solids
fresh double/heavy cream
unsalted butter
fine salt
sieved cocoa

How to make these heavenly nuggets of chocolate joy:

Weigh/measure the chocolate, cream, butter and salt into a microwave safe bowl.
Blast for 20 seconds. Stir well and blast again for 20 seconds. Stir thoroughly.
At this point, if it looking like the chocolate in the picture below, I will leave it for a few minutes to see if the residual heat is sufficient to melt the remaining chocolate and butter. If not, blast again, but in 10 second bursts, stirring well each time, until nearly melted. Taste to see if it needs any additional salt.
Refrigerate for around 2 hours until it has set but is still soft enough to scoop out.
Use a teaspoon to scoop out 40 – 45 truffles.
Roll into little balls between your hands.
Sieve some cocoa onto a plate or bowl and cover the truffles. You could also use sprinkles, grated chocolate, desiccated coconut, chopped nuts, chopped freeze dried fruit.
Put back in the fridge to solidify.
These are best stored covered in the fridge but I like to eat them at room temperature – but that is totally up to you. I confess I often sneak a few directly from the fridge!

Alternative way to prepare truffles on the hob:

Heat the cream until hot but not boiling over a moderate heat. Pour over the chocolate and leave for 5 minutes. Stir well until smooth. If you have a thermometer, the cream should not be heated over 46°C. Anything over this temperature and your chocolate may seize.

**These are best stored covered in the fridge but I like to eat them at room temperature**

Made this recipe?

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