Makes 4 reasonable portions, just double up for 8 etc:
Ingredients:
100g (4 oz) good plain choc (the more bitter the better), broken into small pieces
25g (1 oz) butter
1 egg yolk
5 ml (1 teasp) rum essence (or any flavoured spirit e.g. Tia Maria)
22.5ml (1.5 tablesp) milk
350g (12 oz ) sifted icing sugar
choc vermicelli or cocoa or hot-chocolate powder for coating
melt choc and butter in a bowl over gently simmering hot water (or in microwave at very low setting)
remove from heat, and while still warm, stir in egg yolk
stir in rum/milk - or use 1.5 tablesp of strong coffee, or any combination as long as you don’t overdo the total 27.5 mls.
stir in icing sugar - easier if you do it a bit a time. Add more or less if you have overdone/underdone the liquids in step 3. This is what makes the truffles firm up, but it also makes them very sweet so make sure you start with a bitter mixture. Don’t recommend adding Bailey’s for example at step 3!
Put in fridge until cool and firm (an hour or so)
Take spoonfuls, roll into balls and coat in whatever, then leave to harden.
Re the butter, I’m with ** Pandora ** on this one, but would recommend a jar to put the heavy cream in–then stick a clean marble in it–trust me. Somehow it helps. My mom let’s her school kids make their own breakfast once a year–they also shell and grind peanuts to make peanut butter…yum!
That sounds good, if you’re going to roll them in cocoa power. But the “classic” truffle is one dipped in chocolate, and in order for them to look and taste good, I think you have to address the somewhat tricky step of tempering chocolate.
I can post tips if people are interested… but the best method involves practice.
I made the butter! It was pretty easily actually. I’m having some right now on bread. It tastes a bit bland - I didn’t salt it or anything. Next time I will and maybe add a little garlic or something. But all in all, a successful experiment.
Well done, Francesca - which of the many methods suggested did you use? Despite what the health freaks say, I think butter should be salted to bring out the flavour.
I used double cream, started off churning it myself and then realised it would take forever, so I put it in the mixer on the lowest setting and whizzed it a few times. I drained off the buttermilk (into a cup, to use for the bread today) and then beat the butter until it was nice and smooth. I rinsed it with cold water and put it into its tin. And that’s that - easy as pie.
It does taste more like margarine than butter to me though. It doesn’t really seem to have that butteryness. Does anyone know why this is?
Hey Francesca, may I suggest that you brew about 5 gallons of beer to go with that delightful meal? You can make the beer in advance and then drink it during all your prep time. You could also make beer bread along with the buttermilk.
Question: Somehow I ended up with 2 one liter bags of 38% fat whipping cream. Would one of these suckers make butter?
Also, any other suggestions for what to do with a liter of whipping cream? I do not own an oven.