This recipe by Red Stuff & Wild Chef Adam Clark creates a crisp chocolate shell with a smooth velvety liquid centre and is fantastically easy to do. We make these year-round but give them a ‘wild’ twist with homemade foraged liqueurs such as wild plum, sloe gin and (a personal favourite) elderberry liqueur. You can experiment with bourbons and rums as well.
Ingredients (makes 20+ truffles):
- 160g dark chocolate (55% or more cocoa content)
- 60ml double cream
- 40ml full fat milk
- 20g unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla paste
- 30ml of a preferred liqueur (we use homemade wild plum gin and elderberry liqueur but you can use rum, brandy, whisky or Grand Marnier etc).
- 100g of the dark chocolate
- 50g cocoa powder
Method:
- Put the cream, milk and vanilla in a pan and bring gently to the boil
- Break up the chocolate and place into a mixing bowl
- When the cream and milk are ready pour over the chocolate and stir well until the chocolate has melted completely, add the butter and your chosen liqueur and mix well
- If you want to experiment, divide the mix between bowls and add a tsp of your flavour at a time
- Cover with cling film and chill for up to 4 hours, or until mixture can be rolled.
- Once your centres are chilled, melt the extra 100g of dark chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water or gently in the microwave
- Cover a tray with greaseproof paper and roll the mixture into small balls either with your hands (you can lightly coat them in sunflower oil) or use a melon scoop dipped in hot water
- Put the cocoa powder in a tray or dish with high sides.
- Quickly dip your mixture balls one by one into the melted dark chocolate using two cocktail sticks – spike with one, then scrape off excess chocolate and remove the truffle into the cocoa powder with the other, you just want a thin crisp layer of chocolate. Two forks could also work.
These truffles are best served at a cool room temperature where you will find they have a crisp chocolate shell with a smooth velvety liqueur centre. They can be stored in the freezer.
