These are not true chocolate truffles of the sort you will find in a chocolate shop, but a quick, homely version so easy to make that even a child could manage this recipe. These are perfect for an indulgent Christmas-time snack (or stocking filler).
Looking for more South African Christmas recipes? Check out the Getaway Christmas recipe guide.
Rum and Raisin Chocolate Truffles
Makes about 35 truffles
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) raisins or currants
- 4 Tbsp (60 ml) dark rum
- 350 g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) icing sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) cocoa powder, sifted, for coating
Put the raisins in a bowl, pour over the rum and set aside to soak for at least an hour, preferably two. Place the chocolate, broken into pieces, in a glass bowl and melt in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth, then beat in the cream, the soaked raisins and any rum left in the bowl. Sift the icing sugar into the chocolate and mix until smooth. Press a piece of clingfilm onto the surface of the mixture and place it in the fridge for about an hour, or until firm enough to handle.
Tip the cocoa powder onto a plate. Dig out spoonsful (each about the sized of a large marble) of chocolate paste and roll quickly between your palms to form rough balls resembling real truffles. Place the balls on the plate of cocoa powder and roll them about so that they are well coated. When you’ve made all the balls, place them in a sieve or colander and shake gently to remove any excess cocoa powder. Cover and place in the fridge for two hours, or until firm. These freeze very well.
Note: The basic truffle recipe is adapted from Phillippa Cheifitz’s The Cosmopolitan Cookbook (1986)
Photograph by Nina Timm
This recipe was originally published on Scrumptious SA.
My new cookbook, Scrumptious: Food for Family and Friends (Struik Lifestyle) is available at all leading bookstores in South Africa.
