Wednesday 5 January 2011

Muscovado Truffles


I got Paul A. Young's chocolate book for my 21st last year from a good friend. It's one of my favourite recipe books - it's got truly gorgeous photos and styling and some really original recipes. This was the first recipe I tried from the book and it's wonderful. I've made it a few times since and every time it's just as delicious. They make wonderful presents. I like one or two for an after dinner flourish too. Definitely a recipe to keep. 

Also, I've joined twitter = poireschocolat. Still don't really know what I'm doing!

Muscavado Truffles
(adapted from Paul A Young's book Adventures with Chocolate)

100g muscovado sugar
pinch of sea salt
250g double cream
250g of 70% best quality dark chocolate

Chop up the chocolate into small pieces and put into a medium bowl. Weigh the cream out using a medium saucepan as the container (remember it's grams not a fluid measurement). Add the sugar and salt to the pan and mix in. Heat until it reaches a strong simmer. Pour over the chocolate, leave for a moment then whisk until glossy and smooth. Leave to cool on the side then put the ganache into the fridge. Leave for at least 2 hours. 

50g cocoa powder
50g muscovado sugar 

Sift the cocoa power and sugar into a shallow bowl. Take the ganache out of the fridge. Dip your fingers in the powder mixture then use a spoon to scoop out lumps of the mixture. Turn each out into the mixture and use your fingers to form each one into a sphere.  Roll around again in the mixture then pop on a plate. When you've finished put in the fridge for an hour or so to firm up before packaging. They keep in the fridge in airtight container (I've done a week, I reckon they'd be fine for longer too). 

(Makes about 30-40 truffles, depending on size)

10 comments:

  1. Oh! Those look very, very tasty! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Beautiful! I'd like to make these - what are the measures in cups? Also, is the sugar an icing sugar?
    Cupcake
    Wwwthefamily-table.blogspot.com

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  3. I can't wait to make these, but a quick question...I wasn't quite sure what you meant when you said to weigh the cream in the saucepan but not use the gram measurement? Thanks in advance for enlightenment!

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  4. Cupcake: I don't know the measures in cups but you might be able to work it out from this site (http://uktv.co.uk/food/stepbystep/aid/574225) it's the one I use to go the other way. Muscovado is an unrefined brown sugar, it's pretty easy to get here in the uk.

    Marina - sorry, bit of a typo - I meant not a fluid measurement in the bracket. I put the saucepan on my scales, zero them, and then weigh out the right amount. Less washing up that way!

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  5. Truffles are so much fun. I like to play around with them--maybe a raspberry creme filling, or white chocolate and honey, or what I like to call "reese's truffles", just peanut-butter ganache dusted in chocolate. It's time to step back and just make rich dark chocolate. Thanks!

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  6. Hi Emma,

    Thanks, brilliant! Makes perfect sense now. I'm off to get some muscovado sugar...

    All best, m.

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  7. Emma, the truffles look so decadent and easier than I thought they would be to make.

    Nisrine

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  8. Have just found this blog when searching on the internet for a chocolate truffle recipe. I'm now half way through Paul A Young's basil/lemon/pepper truffles and about to make a second batch with creme de mures. First timer on the truffle front so hoping the ganache works and the ball rolling isn't too sticky. I'm also looking for a recipe for chocolate truffles, with a ganache, which includes prunes, which I love (know of one?). Ottolenghi has a recipe in his first book, but I want the prunes broken up more. I expect I'll have to use trial and error.

    Anyway, even if I'm more of a savoury-palated cook, I love the blog and glad to have found it. Keep it up.

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  9. I was wondering if you ever considered changing the structure of your blog?

    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of
    content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 images.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

    My site :: mind power techniques

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  10. Hi, do you use dark or light Muscavado sugar? If muscovado isn't available, do you recommend a substitute? And I want toy say that you are an amazing baker. Thank you for your efforts to perfect the recipes you share with us!!!

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