Ginger & Sesame Chocolate Truffles

When I first started cooking, my way of testing my recipes were hosting dinner parties for my family and friends. Most of which always ended with an after dinner mint, or if I wasn’t too pushed for time, I would make truffles to serve with coffee, perhaps trying to imitate what they do in restaurants. I have slightly adapted these truffles from what they used to be, with pairing the chocolate with a favourite flavour of mine, ginger, and a rather unorthodox companion of the sesame seeds. The contrasting textures to me is far more appealing than rolling in cocoa powder, however should you not be a fan of this, cocoa will work just lovely too. Serve after a meal or if you’re feeling more generous wrap in cellophane and ribbon and send out as gifts.

Makes 10 truffles

Ingredients:

~ 100g good quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)

~ 100ml double cream

~ 1 ball of stem ginger in syrup

~ 2 tsp ground ginger

~ Pinch of salt

~ Sesame seeds (or you could use cocoa powder)

Method:

1. Begin by chopping the chocolate finely using a sharp knife, place in a large bowl.

2. Finely dice the stem ginger, reserving some of the syrup, putting it to one side.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the ground ginger over a medium heat, take off the heat just before the liquid begins to boil.

4. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and leave to stand for a few minutes. Stir the mixture together gently until all the chocolate fragments have melted. Stir in the salt, stem ginger and the syrup to taste until the ginger flavour is to your liking. You should be left with a glossy and smooth mixture. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours so that the truffle sets.

5. Prepare the coating by toasting the sesame seeds over a medium heat until slightly golden brown and they are beginning to give off an aroma. Make sure to watch them as they can catch quick. Spread them evenly over a plate.

6. Take a melon baller or a teaspoon and dip in a cup of boiling water, so that the mixture comes off easily, and spoon the truffle mixture into balls. You can use clean hands to roll the mixture into small balls. Immediately drop into the coating of your choice and roll them round gently to coat until you can see no more truffle.

7. Put the truffles on a plate and chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.