CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE MINI-BRICKS, no-added sugar Indulgence, child friendly option

Chocolate truffle mini-bricks are actually just rectangular truffles, with alcohol, and extremely nice they are, too...

updated Feb 2022

Chocolate Truffle Mini-Bricks, with Grand Marnier, coated in Hazelnuts or Cocoa 
'Very rich and luxurious with an expensive, pure dark chocolate taste.' 'Melt in the mouth; just right' 'Like shop bought or Belgian.'  Tasters

Popping a bite-size brick of cool creamy truffle, delicately flavoured with alcohol, into one's mouth is a delight on summer picnics, outdoors buffets or during the festival season. 

Luckily truffles are incredibly easy and versatile though planning is necessary.  Start the night before they're needed or make them them in advance and freeze then for up to a month.

Truffles are an indulgence; they're heavy on chocolate and cream but there's no added sugar.  You can choose not to use butter but the truffles won't have that creamy-dreamy texture everyone loves. 

While you can pay a fortune for shop-made truffles, these are not expensive.  Baking chocolate with higher levels of cocoa butters are selling at M&S (100gm 70% dark chocolate for just over a £1 prices Jan 2022).  Waitrose & Sainsbury also sell own-brand dark chocolate baking chocolate; Waitrose also sells white baking chocolate.  Amazon sells premium brand, Callebaut in minimum 400g packets starting at £5'ish. 

The Chocolate Truffle Bricks are a single flavour with nutty or cocoa coating but truly, anything goes.  Roll truffles - whether round or rectangular - in freeze-dried strawberries, dried unsweetened coconut  or icing sugar.  Drop them into cooled melted chocolate, white or dark, for a crisp outer shell.

Stuff them with berries or cherries soaked in liqeuer and drained, or finely chopped sweet ginger. Replace alcohol with ginger syrup.  Drizzle with white or dark chocolate.  

The sky is the limit.

Cost: min £2.50'ish (2022) When 
Makes: 24 to 30 truffles

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz dark chocolate  
   200ml double cream
     35gm/1 1/4 oz unsalted butter

2 tbsp orange liqeuer or cognac

Garnish: 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts (67 used leftover toasted hazelnut pieces from Waitrose)

Method:

1. Using a sharp, heavy knife, chop chocolate as finely as possible and set aside.  
2. Melt cream and butter in a med saucepan over med-low heat until the butter is melted and the cream is warm; it will be ready when you see small bubbles around the edge of the pot - don't let it boil!
3. Take off the heat and add the chocolate in thirds, making sure the chocolate is completely melted before you add the next third; stir gently with a whisk until the mix is thick and smooth
4. Add flavouring - 2 tablespoons should do it; stir well to blend
5. Pour into a rectangular container lined with clingfilm; cool and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. If nuts are untoasted, roast in a med oven 5 mins; watch they don't burn 
7. When ready to serve, run a knife around the chocolate in its container; upend onto a piece of greaseproof paper.  Remove cling film and cut into 24 equal pieces (a sharp knife dipped in hot water will cut through the brick like butter)
8. Roll in nuts, cocoa or freeze dried raspberries/other coatings
9. Refrigerate until ready to serve or freeze up to one month

Comments:

• (long pause with lots of happy noises) 'No words!' 15-year-old male student
• 'Melt in the mouth; just the right consistency, not too bitter or sweet, right amount of alcohol and really, really creamy.' Local councillor
• 'These were extremely good.  The strong chocolate flavour was near perfect.  Tasted like shop bought or Belgian.  Could not taste the booze, which is good as it means it has added to the flavour, not drowned it!' Political Agent
• (Brandy flavour) 'I am trying not to put on weight so limited myself to 2.  They are very rich and luxurious with an expensive, pure dark chocolate taste. Very yummy.'  Senior Administrator

Tips:

• Chocolate baking callets (large chocolate chips) makes the job of integrating chocolate with cream much easier
• Sometimes, not sure why, the chocolate is softer than at other times.  At those times, the Blogger will submerge the truffle in melted dark or white chocolate to form a crisp outer shell which prevents melting when touched
• Child friendly option - replace alcohol with 1/2 tsp vanilla essence or essence of orange or peppermint; roll in hundred and thousands or silver dragees
• obviously you can make round truffles; 67 finds brick shapes easier
• the recipe also works with white chocolate 

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This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission