Homemade Chocolate Truffles

Total Time: 48 hrs Preparation Time: 48 hrs

Ingredients

• 250 g very good quality dark chocolate, cut into small pieces (75% cocoa solids)
• 300 ml double cream
• 50 g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 50 g sliced almonds, very finely chopped and lightly toasted
• 50 g flaked coconut, lightly toasted
• 50 g milk chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil

Recipe

• 1 place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl.
• 2 heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
• 3 immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and stir with a whisk until smooth.
• 4 the mixture will be very liquidy at this stage, but don't worry about that (it will become firm overnight), just allow it completely cool and then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
• 5 next day, when you are ready to make the truffles, place your coatings for the truffles onto seperate plates.
• 6 for plain truffle, mix the cocoa powder and sugar in a plate.
• 7 for toasted almond coating, finely chop flaked almonds, dry-roast them lightly in a pan till they turn golden brown, and same for toasted coconut coating.
• 8 for chocolate-coated truffles, break the chocolate in a bowl and add in the oil and let it sit over a pan of hot but not boiling water and allow it to melt until it becomes liquid, then remove the pan from the heat.
• 9 make sure you have all the little paper cases opened out ready before your hands get all chocolatey!
• 10 remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator.
• 11 using a teaspoon, scoop out a small portion and use your hands to shape it into a ball.
• 12 immediately roll the truffle in the coating of your choice and place it in the paper cases.
• 13 for toasted almond and coconut truffles, roll the chocolate balls in the nuts/coconut, and then press them slightly to form an outer coating.
• 14 for chocolate-coated truffles, dip each truffle in the chocolate so that it gets a thin coating and then quickly transfer into the paper case (if the chocolate coating begins to thicken before dipping the truffles, return it onto the pan on the heat so that it will melt again).
• 15 cover and refrigerate for another 24 hours.
• 16 these refrigerate very well for a couple of weeks.