How to Make Chocolate Truffles at Home

Method:

1. Roughly chop the chocolate and set aside in a large heat proof bowl.
2. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and gently heat.
3. Once the butter has fully melted and the cream is simmering, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate in your bowl. Leave it to sit for 5 minutes.
4. Stir together until you have a smooth mixture. It’s at this point you can add your vanilla or your flavor of choice (if you’re creating multiple truffle varieties just make sure to divide your mixture into different bowls for this step).
5. Leave to cool in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
6. Time to shape your truffles. Dunk a teaspoon or a melon baller into hot water to warm slightly, and scoop the mixture into balls. Add any larger sized fillings at this stage e.g. with a hazelnut you want to push one roughly into the centre of each ball. To neaten their shape you can roll each truffle between your palms to smooth the edges.
7. You’ll need to coat your truffles immediately after shaping. To make this easier, prepare your toppings into separate small bowls. Roll each truffle into the topping of choice, until evenly coated. Leave to chill on parchment paper.
8. Store in the refrigerator. To give as a gift, you can put them in little paper cases and into a gift box secured with a ribbon.

These chocolate truffles feature in our guide on homemade gifts for foodies. Have a read here for inspiration for making homemade condiments, sweet treats, and culinary essentials.