Christmas is a busy time so you can always make this a few days before you need it to get ahead.
30 mins plus cooling time
Super easy
serves 50
About the recipe
The beauty of this truffle recipe is that your guests can get involved and make their own. Arrange nicely on a table, put a few cocktail sticks next to them and let people get stuck in and make their own.
Ingredients
300ml double cream
1 knob of unsalted butter
1 clementine
300g quality dark chocolate (70%)
1 splash of brandy
1 handful of mixed nuts, such as Brazils, almonds, hazelnuts
3 tablespoons quality cocoa powder
optional: 1 pack of biscotti
optional: 1 bottle of Vin Santo (cold)
Top Tip
It’s worth remembering that chocolate is friends with lots of different types of booze so, if you prefer, you can swap out the brandy here for rum, whisky or red wine.
Method
- Pour the cream in a pan, place over a medium heat and let it heat up – you don’t want it boiling, just hot.
- As soon as tiny bubbles start to appear, add the butter and finely grate in the clementine zest, and stir to melt the butter.
- Snap the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Pour the creamy mixture over the chocolate, whisking as you go, so the chocolate slowly melts. If the mixture splits slightly, don’t worry, you can bring it right by adding a splash of boiling water.
- Add a pinch of sea salt. then stir in the brandy. Once completely smooth, pour the mixture into a nice serving dish or bowl.
- Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to make your truffles, pull the bowl out of the fridge and let the chocolate warm up to room temperature.
- Put the mixed nuts into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to bash them up quite finely. Get some little saucers or bowls and put the nuts in one and the cocoa powder in the other.
- Put a teacup filled with boiled water on the tray and pop a few teaspoons in there for scooping the chocolate. Get everyone around the table to spoon their own truffles out of the serving dish and roll them in cocoa powder, crushed nuts or anything else you fancy. Or, you can let them spread their truffles over a biscotti (a bit like posh Nutella!). Serve with a few glasses of chilled Vin Santo.
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