Valentines Treat - Nigel Slater's Chocolate Truffles

The challenge : 

"...all you have to do is randomly select a recipe that includes chocolate somewhere in the ingredients, cook that dish and then write about your experience on your blog..."

This challenge was perfect with Valentines day coming up on Friday, especially as my valentine loves chocolate. 

Nigel Slater's 'Real Food' has a section called 'CHOCOLATE' and  I randomly opened it at page 282 CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES.

I was a bit worried to begin with as I don't have much chocolate making experience.  I know that chocolate can split when heated, and there's  nothing that you can do, but to start all over again with a new batch.

But it was easy as pie. There are only two ingredients, good quality chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids, and cream. You don't have to heat the chocolate, just the cream. Then pour the warmed cream over the finely shredding chocolate in a warm bowl, melting it in the process. Simple.

It makes a shiny chocolate ganache that you beat until it's smooth and glossy.

If any of the chocolate remains unmelted you can place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure that it doesn't touch the bowl, and then heat until every last little bit has melted down to a velvety sauce. I couldn't resist a taste at this point. It was scrumptious but I know that my valentine has a very sweet tooth and I'd used a good quality dark Ecuadorian (fairtrade) chocolate, with 72% cocoa solids. I suspected that it may be just a little bitter for his taste. So I added a couple of dessertspoonfuls of golden syrup. 

I then chilled it in the fridge for about an hour until the chocolate had reset. Then the fun began. You take spoonfuls of the ganache and roll it into rough balls or log shapes, then dip them in cocoa powder. I also dipped some in powdered icing sugar because my valentine loves truffles made that way.

I used half the recipe ingredients in the book but the same as the recipe on this link.  I made at least twenty large truffles, but it's difficult to be exact because a few may have  accidentally fallen into my mouth whilst I was making them...

This was a really fun project to do, and one that kiddies may like to join in with...I'm sure there would be lots of finger licking. Great for a Mother's or Father's day gift with a little help from a grown-up. 

I made simple cones from thick wrapping paper to hold them. I used a dinner plate as a template cutting out a circle of paper and than halving each on to make two cones. Rolling each one into a cone and securing with a little bit of double sided sellotape. 

Or you may like to link to a clip art pdf of printable template for sweet little gift bags perfect for holding these, here,  or boxes here and here.

I'm linking with dom and choclette to share the challenge.

...have a happy valentines day...
debx

Hurray for weekend and chocolate.....

It's Friday and it's been a really good one so far. I've had a great response to a commission that I'm working on. Bought a new bag at a bargain price. H is coming home for the weekend. A will be off work, so lots of quality time with him. I've got drinks with new friends on Monday. We can have a lie in tomorrow morning. The only thing that could top it all, is chocolate...

Those who know me may be aware that one of my motto's is 'more is less, unless it's chocolate'. It seems to be a bit of a family trait, although we don't go overboard. H loves rocky road bars. I make up batches and send them to her in food parcels all wrapped up in little brown cardboard boxes, tied with string. (Sounds like something out of the sound of music, doesn't it...) She really appreciates the retro (or old school as she calls it) packaging and the contents, as do her friends. She told me that they tell her they're the best ones they've ever tasted. She also tells me that the postman teases her about the packaging. He obviously doesn't appreciate the sensibilities of vintage ephemera.

I'm going to make some for her to take back, so hope I can remember the recipe. I've got my reputation to live up to. They are moreish, although not my favourite chocolate delicacy. But there is chocolate truffle torte secreted in the freezer loaded with rum for emergencies...I'm glad that I  haven't succumbed yet because it's also loaded with double cream.

Here's my rocky road recipe:-

Ingredients:

100g shortbread biscuits broken into small pieces
25g marshmallows, either use mini ones or chop into small pieces, I dust with a little icing sugar to prevent them from sticking together
25g glace cherries halved or quartered and dusted with icing sugar
225g chocolate broken into small pieces
75g butter


Method:

•  Line a 19cm square baking pan with baking parchment
• Combine the biscuits, cherries and marshmallows together
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water ensuring that the water in the pan doesn't boil or touch the bowl.
• When melted set aside to cool for a little while then add to the other ingredients.
• Put into the prepared dish making sure that it is level. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours...yum...

This isn't really baking. It's just really combining ingredients together and is so easy that small children can help as long as care is taken with melting the chocolate. I like to use the best ingredients possible. It makes about a dozen pieces and so still works out much cheaper than any that you would buy. I use un-dyed glace cherries I think they have a much better flavour. H likes this made with Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate. It would be great to use home made biscuits but that never happens in our house...as soon as I make a batch they are wolfed down! So I use ready made shortbread or malted milk...I can't remember which I used last time so have made up a batch using half and half...