Chocolate Truffles recipe

Instructions

1. Put the dark and white chocolate in separate heat-proof bowls. Heat each batch of cream to scalding point, then pour over the chocolates. Add the butter to the dark, and a pinch of salt to the white. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then whisk together well. Allow to cool, then put in the fridge.
2. The chocolate needs to be firm enough to handle – so work in a cool kitchen or you’ll have to keep putting it back in the fridge if it gets too soft. Roll into balls and store, as you go, in-between pieces of baking parchment in a box. Put them back in the fridge.
3. For the coatings; it’s best to roll in the coating when just slightly soft so it sticks. We used:

• Freeze-dried strawberry and freeze-dried mango pieces (from the bakery section), very lightly crushed
• Finely chopped pistachios
• Salted hazelnut praline. Put some oiled foil on a baking sheet. Spread over 75g (3oz) of nuts. Put 150g (5oz) caster sugar in a saucepan and heat gently to dissolve. Don’t stir, but keep shaking the pan to make sure that the heat is evenly distributed. Turn up the heat and bubble the sugar until it’s the colour of warm amber, then carefully pour it on top of the nuts and set aside to cool. Place the praline in a food processor and whizz until fine. Leave plain, or add 2tsp sea salt, if you love the salty flavour.