Reader Recipe - Dunc's Easter Truffles - 3 - $ - V

Ladies and gentleman, we are very lucky to have another fabulous reader recipe sent in by Duncan! (He also sent the pics too.)

You may remember Dunc from last year when he showed us how to construct these amazing gingerbread houses. I think I might need to officially make him our religious holiday recipe guru.

These truffles look just divine and I will definitely be having a crack at them on the weekend. I might go 70s style and put some Creme de Menthe in mine, do you think you can still buy that stuff?

Thanks Duncan! He writes...

Ingredients

250ml cream

60gm butter

1/2 a vanilla pod

500gm dark chocolate

300gm dark chocolate (separate)

Place cream and butter in the top of a double boiler, scrape seeds from the vanilla pod into the cream mix and bring to the boil before turning off the heat. Tip the 500gm chocolate into the hot cream mixture and stir until all lumps are melted and the mixture is velvety smooth. At this point you can continue with the mix as is, or add your favourite liquor. I broke my mix into three portions and made one with kahlua, one with sambuca and one with grand marnier. Simply add to taste.

At this point cover your mix with cling wrap and push it down on the surface of the chocolate leaving no room for bubbles and place in a cool spot to set overnight.

Once set, prepare a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle and give the ganache a brief stir and then fill the piping bag. Pipe small mounds of ganache every few centimetres on a tray lined with baking paper (you can also use a melon-baller or any other spoon). Place the tray into the fridge for a couple of hours until set.

Once set remove from the fridge and roll between your palms to make rounds. Once you have finished rolling the truffles melt the extra 300gm of chocolate (double-boiler style) and place the bowl near the truffles. Dab some chocolate onto your hands and taking the truffles two at a time roll them in your hands until nicely covered in chocolate. If you're fussy like me then let them set and cover again with a second coat.

Please note massive 'guns' from all the truffle rolling

Once the truffles are covered you can decorate to your liking and give out to all your friends that are on diets just before Easter. A suitable container is a half-egg mold or you can just whack them in little bags and do up with a ribbon.

Enjoy!