The Best Chocolate Truffles
This is my take on a fabulous truffle
Basic Ingredients
(makes about 20 truffles)
• 225 g (8 oz) good quality chocolate
(usually plain, but milk or white chocolate
will give different effects)
• 75ml (3 fl oz) double cream
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) good quality spirit or
liqueur (e.g. brandy or rum)
Instructions:
1. Finely chop the chocolate using a heavy
knife then put it into a heat-proof bowl.
2. Pour the cream over the chocolate
recipe found in ‘The Good
Housekeeping Complete Christmas’.
Having tried many truffle recipes
over the years, this has proven
consistently to be the best.
The truffles will keep in the fridge
for about 3 weeks. They can also be
made ahead and frozen.
It’s fun to make several batches
at once, with different fillings.
Coating Ingredients
(Optional)
• For dipped truffles... you will need extra
dark, milk and white chocolate
• For rolled truffles... you can use cocoa
powder, finely chopped nuts, chocolate
flakes or vermicelli, ground Amoretti
biscuits and edible gold leaf
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3. Stand the bowl over a pan of

simmering water and heat gently
until the chocolate begins to melt.

4. Be patient, stirring gently now and

then to mix the chocolate and the
cream.

Do not let the mixture overheat – it

should melt without becoming hot!

5. As soon as the chocolate has melted,

remove it from the heat and leave to
cool for about 30 minutes (the
mixture should thicken a little)

6. When it is cool, add 3 tablespoons of

your chosen alcohol and stir in

7. Now beat the mixture with an

electric whisk until it is thick, fluffy
and paler in colour. It should be firm
enough to stand in peaks.

(If you find the mixture fails to

thicken, stand it in the fridge for an
extra 10 – 20 minutes and try again –
it will thicken when cool enough).

8. Spoon the thickened mixture into a

shallow dish or tin and refrigerate for
a couple of hours, to set.

9. Now for the messy bit... you may

need to wash your hands frequently
during this stage.

10. When the mixture comes out of the

fridge it will be quite firm. Scoop up
a heaped teaspoon and roll into a
ball between the palms of your
hands (approx 1-inch ball)

(Dusting your hands with cocoa

powder helps to prevent melting.)

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 The Best Chocolate Truffles
11. If you plan to roll your truffles in a
dry coating, do so immediately, while
the ball is soft and melting on the
outside. (See ingredients for
suggested coatings)

12. If you plan to dip some or all of your

truffles in melted chocolate, lay the
rolled balls onto a tray or a plastic
container and freeze overnight.

Chocolate-Dipped Truffles

13. Chop up several different types of

chocolate and melt each batch
separately (gently) in a bowl
suspended over simmering water.

14. When the chocolate is melted, dip

the frozen truffles quickly into the
chocolate.

15. A good technique is to use a cocktail

stick to hold the frozen truffle, and
use a teaspoon to help spread the
chocolate over the ball. The other
end of the cocktail stick can be stuck
into a potato half, to hold the truffle
upright while it sets.

16. Refrigerate the coated truffles until

the chocolate has set.

17. To decorate the truffles, drizzle fine

lines of contrasting melted chocolate
over them with a piping bag.

18. The truffles can be stored in the

fridge for 2-3 weeks. If frozen, they
defrost quickly at room temp.

19. Serve in petit four cases (if you have

trouble getting these, a tin lined with
vivid tissue paper looks just as nice).

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