Truffle Pigs

Okay so this post is almost certainly dedicated to a friend of mine since I have known since Pokemon first came out and footsies was still cool.

I bumped into him the other week when I was "hitting da clubs" and, in a somewhat intoxicated manner, preceded to talk about life, the fact I was drinking red wine at a pub and most importantly, The Cookie Jar.

At the mere mention of my blog my friend exclaimed "TRUFFLES! MAKE TRUFFLES!" and I exclaimed back "YES FUCKING TRUFFLES!"

And in a drunken back-and-forth stupor we proceeded to name every single flavour of truffle we could think of that we would create the next morning together.

Needless to say, no truffles were made the next day, but I vowed to one day make them with him. I personally have never been a truffle person; I was always highly confused when people said they were worth more than gold (uhhhh can't you use Coles chocolate?) and that during one month of the year the French used pigs to dig them from the ground (can pigs eat chocolate?). It was a horribly embarassing experience when someone pointed out the difference between the two and I have never quite recovered from it. THEIR LAUGHS BURN LIKE THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND WARMED TRUFFLES.

Though when my truffle friend mentioned white chocolate truffle I was completely and utterly sold.

Since then, my truffle friend and I have bumped into each other several times, all whilst being slightly "under-the-weather". Every single time I have promised to make truffles for Cookie Jar, which I have not. Either I haven't had the time...or I'd been offered to bake something more exciting...or I just haven't really remembered to be entirely honest.

Anyway, yesterday as I was home sick contemplating phlegm and it's origins, I finally thought, I KNOW WHAT WILL BREAK THIS SOUL SCORCHING BOREDOM!  I WILL MAKE TRUFFLES FOR MY TRUFFLE FRIEND!

So I hustled up my ingredients, I started to make the truffles and bunged them in the freezer (they have to set overnight) and was pretty damn happy that I had finally come through with my promise.

Anyway, today I visited the doctor as I am still unwell and, lo and behold, apparently I have a disease which is horribly infectious and unappealing to all life forms and I should be kept in solitary confinement with a bag over my head as to avoid "germing" people.

Doctor: "So, Ella, are you, ummm, back at uni yet?"

Me: "Noo I deferred this semester to work full-time, but taking some time off now due to the infection you've diagnosed me with."

Doctor: "Oh that's good, you would'nt want to be seen in public at the moment."

Yes friends, my dearest general practitioner, the family's go-to health advisor for all of my natural life, the oen of whom we have trusted, in sickness and in health (mostly sickness) to hold dear to her soul our ailments and failings...

...had just told me I was too ugly to appear at university.

Needless to say, I was not being seen by my truffle friend to give him his much awaited truffles...so I'm dedicating this post (and saving him a few!) to my truffle-loving friend.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Truffles (nom nom nom nom)
took the recipe from epicurious and adapted the jesus out of it

two cups of anyyy chocolate you like (I used a combination of milk and dark, ultimately the higher quality of chocolate...the better tasting the truffle.)

3/4 of a cup of thickened cream

a dash of vanilla essence

to coat your truffles

extra chocolate of your choice (i used milk)

crushed nuts (i used pistachios), shredded coconut, cocoa powder, crushed oreos (which i used)...

etc.etc.etc.

method

In a medium heavy saucepan, bring your cream to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Remove from heat.

While the cream is still hot, pour in your chocolate and use a wooden spoon to fold the cream over the chocolate until it is all melted and lovely and great and smooth and yum AND GANACHE-Y.

Whisk in vanilla. Pour into medium bowl. Cover; chill until firm. This will probably take a minimum of three hours but I did mine overnight which works much much better.

Take them out the next morning and line baking sheet with waxed paper. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bung on some gloves and roll them into the desired shape. Or you can get all nice and messy without gloves. I'm not against licking ma phalanges.

Freeze them until firm, about 45 minutes. Potentially longer...


Take the truffles out of the freezer. Have little bowls of the ingredients you want to coat your truffles in nearby. Melt some chocolate over a double boiler and roll one of the frozen truffles in the melted chocolate.

While it's still wet from chocolate, roll the truffle in one of your ingredients eg. nuts and coat it until it's all lovely and covered. Wear gloves again as this stuff gets freaking EVERYWHERE.

Cover with plastic; chill until ready to serve. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep chilled.)