Name: Cream truffles
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 540 min
Yield: 90 truffles
Ingredients: 200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 200 g double cream; 200 g caster sugar; 1 pinch salt; 1 vanilla pod; 350 g chocolate of your choice (for example milk with a handful of dark, such as Callebaut); 100 g cocoa powder, approximately, as needed

A confection: light cream truffles with a soft, creamy filling of cream, butter and vanilla, coated in a layer of chocolate and cocoa powder. The recipe makes about 90 truffles, so it is ideal for giving away or for a festive platter. You pipe the filling and harden it in the freezer, then dip the truffles in melted chocolate. A tip: work fast and take only part of the batch out of the freezer at a time so the rest stays hard.

Method

Heat the cream

Put the cream, sugar, split vanilla pod and salt in a small pan and heat slowly. Turn off the heat as soon as the mixture is almost boiling and leave it to cool well.

Whip the butter

Beat the butter for about 10 minutes until light and almost white. Warm it briefly with a hairdryer if you like, but not for long: the butter must not melt.

Combine

Once the cream mixture is only lukewarm, pour it slowly onto the butter while mixing. If it is too hot, it will split. Mix until combined, no longer than necessary.

Pipe

Put the mixture in a piping bag with a plain round nozzle (size 9) and pipe the truffles. Do not make them too small.

Harden

Leave the truffles to harden in the freezer for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Melt the chocolate

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave, in short bursts, to 40 to 45 °C and no hotter. Meanwhile, set out the bowl of cocoa powder and a container for the finished truffles.

Dip and roll

Dip a truffle in the chocolate, coat it on all sides and tap off the excess. Place it in the cocoa and coat it on all sides. Tap off the excess cocoa. Take only part of the batch out of the freezer at a time.

Store

Store the truffles in an airtight container in the fridge (up to 1 week) or in the freezer (up to 3 months).

Tips & notes

Allow about 100 g of cocoa powder, as needed. Chocolate often contains soya lecithin and may contain traces of nuts: check the label. Do not heat the cream too long and do not let it boil, otherwise the filling becomes grainy.

Chef's tip

Work fast, because the filling softens. Take only part of the batch out of the freezer at a time so the rest does not soften. Do not make the truffles too small: that makes dipping them in the chocolate harder.

Variations

Milk or dark chocolate: use chocolate of your choice, for example milk chocolate with a handful of dark.
Other coating: instead of cocoa powder, roll the truffles in chopped nuts or coconut (no longer nut-free).

Contains: Milk Soya