LOW-SUGAR CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES, BASIC & CHILLI, easy-peasy, make-ahead indulgence, kids' option

67GOINGON50'S VALENTINE DAY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES: BASIC AND SOPHISTICATED CHILLI - both lower-sugar, easy and make-ahead

1.  BASIC 

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

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.   

Luckily 67's 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 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 home-made ones are not expensive.  Baking chocolate with higher levels of cocoa butters are available at M&S - 100gm 70% dark chocolate for just over a £1 (prices Oct 2024).  

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.  Or drop them into slightly warm melted chocolate, white or dark, for a crisp outer shell.

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

The sky is the limit.

Cost: £5.00'ish (2024)
Makes: 24 to 30 truffles; recipe halves nicely

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz dark chocolate (67 uses M&S)
   200ml double cream
     35gm/1 1/4 oz unsalted butter

2 tbsp orange liqeuer or cognac (opt) or grape juice

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

Method:

1. Line a square'ish container about 8 inches x 8 inches/20cm x 20cm with two layers of clingfilm
2. Using a sharp, heavy knife, chop chocolate as finely as possible and set aside.  
3. Melt cream and butter in a med saucepan over med-low heat until the butter is melted and the cream is warm; watch for small bubbles around the edge of the pot - don't let it boil!
4. 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
5. Add flavouring - 2 tablespoons should do it; stir well to blend
6. Pour into lined container; cool; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight if useing immediately or freeze up to a month
7. If nuts are untoasted, roast in a 180C/350f oven no more than 5 mins; set aside, cool, cover 
8. When truffle mix is solid, run a knife between the clingfilm and the sides of the container; upend onto a piece of greaseproof paper.  Remove cling film.  Prepare a jug of hot water, dip a sharp knife in it; shake to dry and cut into 24 equal pieces (the knife will cut through the brick like butter)
9. Line a tray with greaseproof paper
10. Place choice/s of topping/s in low flat dishes; roll bricks generously in topping, tap to remove excess, place on tray with a bit of space in between
11. Refrigerate until ready to serve 

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:

• 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; simply scoop out spoonfuls from the chocolate slab and roll into balls; 67 finds brick shapes easier and less messy 
• the recipe also works with white chocolate 

2.  SOPHISTICATED CHILLI

 Low-added-sugar treat for adult chocolate-lovers...                         

Chilli Chocolate Truffles with fresh chilli garnish
'Perfect.  Heat & a kick of chilli without harshness in silky chocolate' Tasters

Mixing chilli with chocolate is nothing new.  Mexicans and Latin Americans do it all the time in drinks, treats and even meat casseroles.

67's recipe is more European-style -- sophisticated but delicate.  There's a little less fire but enough of a slow, gentle burn to enhance the deep undertones of dark chocolate.

And prep is super-simple -- no wresting with small truffle balls; just turn the truffle slab out of the pan and cut into small rectangles.  

Cost: £5.00'ish
Makes: 24 to 30 truffles; recipe halves nicely

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz 70% cocoa-butter dark or bittersweet chocolate (67 prefers M&S) 
   200ml double cream
     35gm/1.25 oz unsalted butter

   1 med-large dried chipotle chilli*, steeped in boiling water 3-4 mins & drained
  1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  1/4 tsp cayenne powder
  1/4 tsp salt

Note: for the full effect of the spices, don't stint on the cayenne 

Garnishes: cocoa powder; slivers of fresh red/yellow chillis, seeds & membranes removed (opt)

Method:

1. Chop chocolate finely - use a knife not a processor; set aside  
2. Melt cream & butter in a med saucepan over med-low heat until the butter melts & small bubbles appear around the edge of the pot; watch it carefully; don't let it boil
3. Take it off the heat; add chipotle chilli, stir in cinnamon, cayenne & salt; transfer to a clean bowl; cover loosely, allow to steep 2 hours.  
4. Start with a clean pan.
5. Remove chipotle chilli from cream; add cream to clean pan over med-low heat; reheat until steam rises and small bubbles appear around the edge of the pot; DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL; the task is to make the cream hot enough to melt the chocolate when it's added but not so much that the cream boils
6. Remove from heat
7. Add the chocolate in thirds, stirring with a whisk, making sure each addition is completely melted before you add the next third
8. Pour into the pre-lined container, pushing into into the corners
9. Cool to room temperature, cover with clingfilm; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
10. When ready to serve, generously sprinkle a piece of greaseproof paper bigger than the truffle slab with cocoa; upend truffle slab onto it; remove clingfilm; cut into 24 equal pieces with a sharp knife dipped in very hot water 
11. Sift more cocoa over the bricks until they are well covered
12. Decorate some bricks with finely sliced fresh chilli (opt)
13. Serve with serviettes; freeze up to one month

Comments:

• 'Perfect.' Local council candidate
• 'Mmm. I can taste the chilli but it's not hot; the warmth hits the back of the tongue. The truffles are dark and lovely, rich and velvety.' The delightfully youthful Judy, aromatherapist & reflexologist for hospital cancer patients 
• 'A warming heat without the harshness of chilli in smooth, lovely chocolate.' Political Agent
• 'The final version of 3 is lovely; I like the heavier dusting of cocoa powder and there's more of a kick of chilli afterwards.' Senior office Woman Friday

Tips:

• Child friendly option - use milk baking chocolate; replace spices with 1/2 tsp vanilla essence or orange or peppermint essence; when set & cut into bricks, coat individually in cooled melted white baking chocolate; drizzle with orange or red icing (1/2-1 tbsp milk to 3 tbsp icing sugar) 
• obviously you can make round truffles but bricks are quicker & less messy
• *dried chipotles are not outrageously expensive & pep up other dishes; 67's came from Waitrose

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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