Coffee-infused rum + dark chocolate truffle
MAKES 40 PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES (PLUS OVERNIGHT INFUSION AND COOLING TIME) COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
A decadent ending to a decadent celebration lunch, these will keep everyone going until cheese on toast later in the evening, especially with that extra little buzz from the coffee.
Make these a couple of weeks before serving and store in the fridge until needed. Serve them with coffee after lunch, or pack into small bags to give as gifts.
20g coffee beans
320ml thickened cream
1 tbsp honey
Canola oil spray
475g chopped dark chocolate
(67% cocoa solids), or melts (buttons) Pinch of salt
2 tbsp rum
20g unsalted butter
200g unsweetened cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 120°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the coffee beans on the tray and warm them in the oven for 20 minutes. Put the cream and honey in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the lightly roasted coffee beans. Leave to cool for 20 minutes before covering the pan with plastic wrap and placing it in the fridge to infuse overnight.
Lightly spray a flat tray with oil spray and line with baking paper. Use your hand to smooth and flatten the paper on the tray.
Put the chocolate in a tall narrow plastic container, such as a jug. Remove the saucepan from the fridge and place over medium heat. Bring to the boil and then strain the mixture through a sieve onto the chocolate in the jug. Add the salt, rum and butter, and leave to sit for 30 seconds. Blend with a hand-held stick blender until the ganache is smooth and shiny. Lay plastic wrap over the surface of the ganache and leave it to harden at room temperature for around 3 hours.
Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a 2cm plain tip, and pipe small bulbs onto the prepared tray. Place the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden slightly.
Tip the cocoa powder into a shallow tray or container. Working with a few bulbs of ganache at a time, roll them into irregular-shaped spheres and then drop them in the cocoa powder, rolling them around to coat. Once all of the truffles have been coated, store them in the fridge.