“A Christmas present made by someone with their own hands, just for you, is always the one you treasure the most. Whilst Christmas is a time for family, for cosiness, for choirs singing carols which evoke childhood memories from deep within, for authenticity, it has also become a time of heaving, overheated department stores and hectic high streets, and on the big day itself, of mountains of shiny paper and short-lived plastic tat, or gifts you never really get around to returning. Perhaps Attenborough’s immensely successful Blue Planet will change all of that. Everyone we know now worries about the amount of unnecessary waste they are creating. What better way to avoid all of this, and to show someone real appreciation, whilst also avoiding the horrors of Christmas shopping for pointless gizmos that don’t last and which nobody really wants anyway, than to get busy at home making them something they’ll adore.”
“Tis the season after all, we find ourselves with a late afternoon free- oven and radio a blast and singing old festive songs and busying away in the kitchen. For us Christmas is always about something delicious to eat. Our favourites are buttery cardamom shortbreads, glowing and shimmering tart fruit preserves, Christmas spiced chutneys and chilli jams, mince pies, and of course our own homemade truffle chocolates. Such a joy to make, rolling the balls to your perfect size and then perhaps rolling them in something salty and crunchy or dipping into melted chocolate or simply dusted in cocoa. If giving as a gift for someone, then we order a little assortment chocolate cardboard box online, one with little sections for each truffle. This for us is the perfect gift- and you get to decorate the box to go that extra thoughtful mile.”
pinchof ground ancho chili pepper- or cayenne pepper
20gsalted butter
50gcocoa powder
Instructions
To make the chocolate truffles with an almond and tahini
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Roast almonds for 10 minutes. Take out and the blitz until you get small chunks, take out half and put to one side in a bowl, and then blitz the rest until you get a smooth butter.
Add the coconut butter, tahini and cinnamon to the food processor and mix until silky. Take out with a spatula and add to the crunchy cut almonds and sprinkle with sea salt. Firm up in the fridge for a few hours.
Take out of the fridge, and with a spoon dipped into hot water dig out a small amount and roll into a ball (we like a 2cm dimension). Once they are all rolled, heat the chocolate over a low heat and take each crunchy ball one by one and dip it in. We use a thin wooden cocktail stick for this. Place onto a grease proof lined tray, and place into the fridge to set for a few hours.
To make the white chocolate, rose and pistachio truffles
Melt chocolate and coconut butter in a pan over a low heat.
In a food processor blitz the cashew nuts and desiccated coconut with a pinch of sea salt until a fine crumb, add the melted white chocolate and blitz for a couple of minutes, with the rose water and vanilla bean. Taste for adjustments and add more salt if necessary.
Place in a bowl and into the fridge to firm up.
Once firm, using a spoon dig out an amount to roll your balls.
Blitz the dried raspberries and then pistachios, to a fine crumb. Place on a plate and then roll your balls in the crumbs.
To make the smoky chocolate truffles
Break up the chocolate and place into a bowl.
In a saucepan, heat the cream with the ancho chilli until just boiling. Remove the chilli and add the butter. Stir until infused.
Pour the cream over the chocolate and add a pinch of ancho pepper, sea salt and cinnamon.
Make sure the chocolate has melted by stirring. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a few hours.
With a spoon scoop out mixture and roll with your hands. Roll in to cocoa powder. Put back into the fridge to firm up for an hour.
Jonathan is Food Editor for The London Economic.
Jonathan has run and contributed towards a number of blogs, and has written features for publications such as Eater London, The Guardian, i News, The Independent, GQ, Time Out London and more.
