Winter spiced truffles

If it’s possible to be bad at rolling truffles then I am. In general this isn’t really a bad thing but I have warm hands, which makes them terrible for making pastry and working with chocolate. Nick has even, on occasion, refused to hold my hand because it was too warm. Love eh?

These truffles are an excellent gift for Christmas. They are warm and spicy and SO easy to make. I didn’t do so well at making my own gifts last year because of the whole newborn baby thing but the year before that I made most of mine and it was so satisfying giving people things that I had made myself. I’d like to squeeze in a few more handmade presents this year. They also go down well as secret santa gifts.

The red wine is completely optional, it adds great depth but the spices work well enough on their own so if you don’t have red wine lying about and don’t want to buy a whole bottle, don’t worry. I recommend using the dried cranberries as the sweetness goes really nicely with the bitterness of the dark chocolate.

NOTES //

Not a fan of dark chocolate? Use half milk and half dark.
Use brandy or whisky if you prefer instead of red wine.
Chocolate covered espresso beans would go well instead of dried cranberries in a wine free truffle mix, as would a sprinkle of chopped nuts added into the melted chocolate.

Winter Spiced Christmas Truffles

  • 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 200ml double cream
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon all spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons red wine (optional)
  • dried cranberries
  • edible gold dust, to decorate
  1. Heat the cream and spices in a medium saucepan until just boiling.
  2. Add the chocolate and the butter and keep stirring until all the chocolate has melted.
  3. Add the red wine, if using, and stir until smooth.
  4. Pour into a bowl and place in the fridge to chill for 4+ hours.
  5. To make the truffles, dust a tray and the palms of your hands with cocoa powder.
  6. Scoop a teaspoon sized amount of the chocolate and roll into a ball in your hands. Roll in the cocoa powder and set aside on a plate.
  7. If you want to use the dried cranberries, just push one into the chocolate mix before rolling into a ball or pop it in the top of a ready rolled truffle.
  8. Dust the gold over the top. Wrap them up in a cellophane bag tied with lots of festive coloured streamers.

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