Wild chocolate truffles

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:

1. Put the cream, milk and vanilla in a pan and bring gently to the boil
2. Break up the chocolate and place into a mixing bowl
3. 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
4.  If you want to experiment, divide the mix between bowls and add a tsp of your flavour at a time
5. Cover with cling film and chill for up to 4 hours, or until mixture can be rolled.
6. 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
7. 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
8. Put the cocoa powder in a tray or dish with high sides.
9. 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.