Every now and again we want to buy a special gift for a loved one, or for ourselves. Maybe it is a birthday, Mother's Day or just a pick-me-up day. What is more decadent than a box of champagne chocolate truffles? They do not need to break the bank with nearly all chocolate retailers selling them, in milk, dark and white chocolate.
For those on the lower end of the scale you can drop into Tesco and pick up a box of 140g for about 7 GBP which are described as "White and milk chocolate truffles with a Marc de Champagne centre dusted with icing sugar". Yummy!! For those with deeper wallets why not make a quick visit to Harrods, in Knightsbridge, where you can get "Harrods' own couverture chocolate with a delicious ganache and icing sugar dusting" in a 125 g box for about 14 GBP. Even this won't break the bank.
Some of you may have a much bigger allowance, or it is for an extra special celebration, then Fortnum and Mason's is the only place to go. A store which has been trading since 1707, and the unlikely inventor of the great culinary thing that is a scotch egg! They offer a combination of a bottle of Fortnum Champers and two (yes two) boxes of truffly goodness for the sum of sixty pounds. Maybe the person who you give this to will let you have some.
For those who hate store-bought gifts, if you have a little patience in the kitchen, champagne truffles are not that difficult to make yourself. They are fiddly and a little messy but forty balls of choclatey goodness is so worth it.
The ingredients are pretty straight forward; 200 g of milk and 250g dark chocolate chopped, 65 g of butter, 100 ml of double cream, and 500 g of icing sugar (the diet is out of the window for this), and of course alcohol, 100 ml pink champagne and 4 tsp of brandy. Drink the rest of the champagne otherwise it will go flat, but put the brandy back in the cupboard! You will also need 750 g of dark chocolate to dip the completed truffles into.
Now to make the dip. First you need to melt the 750 g of dark chocolate in a bowl over a steaming pan of water. Be careful not to burn it.
For the truffle mixture chop the dark and milk choccies in a bowl. In a pan bring the cream and the butter to boil before pouring over the chopped chocolate. After thirty seconds add the alcohol and mix until it is a smooth ganache.
This mixture has to cool, and it is best to spread it evenly over a baking tray and leave it for a few minutes. When it has cooled to a consistency where it can be piped pop it into an icing bag. Then pipe some blobs of about 2.5 centimetres onto another baking tray. Then they need to sit in the fridge until they are stiff, and you can roll them into balls. Then back in the fridge.
Now prepare for the messy but fun bit. Each ball needs to be dipped in the melted chocolate and then into powdered sugar. Leave them in the sugar until firm. Now have a taste (only one or two) and then pack ready to give to your loved one.
For those on the lower end of the scale you can drop into Tesco and pick up a box of 140g for about 7 GBP which are described as "White and milk chocolate truffles with a Marc de Champagne centre dusted with icing sugar". Yummy!! For those with deeper wallets why not make a quick visit to Harrods, in Knightsbridge, where you can get "Harrods' own couverture chocolate with a delicious ganache and icing sugar dusting" in a 125 g box for about 14 GBP. Even this won't break the bank.
Some of you may have a much bigger allowance, or it is for an extra special celebration, then Fortnum and Mason's is the only place to go. A store which has been trading since 1707, and the unlikely inventor of the great culinary thing that is a scotch egg! They offer a combination of a bottle of Fortnum Champers and two (yes two) boxes of truffly goodness for the sum of sixty pounds. Maybe the person who you give this to will let you have some.
For those who hate store-bought gifts, if you have a little patience in the kitchen, champagne truffles are not that difficult to make yourself. They are fiddly and a little messy but forty balls of choclatey goodness is so worth it.
The ingredients are pretty straight forward; 200 g of milk and 250g dark chocolate chopped, 65 g of butter, 100 ml of double cream, and 500 g of icing sugar (the diet is out of the window for this), and of course alcohol, 100 ml pink champagne and 4 tsp of brandy. Drink the rest of the champagne otherwise it will go flat, but put the brandy back in the cupboard! You will also need 750 g of dark chocolate to dip the completed truffles into.
Now to make the dip. First you need to melt the 750 g of dark chocolate in a bowl over a steaming pan of water. Be careful not to burn it.
For the truffle mixture chop the dark and milk choccies in a bowl. In a pan bring the cream and the butter to boil before pouring over the chopped chocolate. After thirty seconds add the alcohol and mix until it is a smooth ganache.
This mixture has to cool, and it is best to spread it evenly over a baking tray and leave it for a few minutes. When it has cooled to a consistency where it can be piped pop it into an icing bag. Then pipe some blobs of about 2.5 centimetres onto another baking tray. Then they need to sit in the fridge until they are stiff, and you can roll them into balls. Then back in the fridge.
Now prepare for the messy but fun bit. Each ball needs to be dipped in the melted chocolate and then into powdered sugar. Leave them in the sugar until firm. Now have a taste (only one or two) and then pack ready to give to your loved one.
About the Author:
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