Description
Delight in these elegant Christmas Truffles with Chocolate Orange, combining rich dark chocolate ganache infused with fresh orange zest and coated in a smooth dark chocolate shell. Perfect for holiday gifting or festive indulgence, these truffles offer a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth treat with a hint of citrus brightness.
Ingredients
Scale
Truffle Centre
- 300 grams dark chocolate (50-70% cocoa), finely chopped
- 300 millilitres heavy cream or double cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
Decoration
- 200 grams dark chocolate (50-70% cocoa) to enrobe the truffles
- Orange peel (optional), thinly sliced
- Edible gold leaf or glitter (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Chocolate: Finely chop 300 grams of dark chocolate and reserve half (150 grams) for coating. This helps the chocolate melt evenly and integrates better with the cream.
- Heat Cream: Use a double boiler method or microwave to gently heat 300 millilitres of heavy cream. When heating with a double boiler, fill the Instant Pot inner pot or a saucepan with water and bring to a simmer, placing a heatproof bowl with cream above it without touching the water.
- Melt Chocolate and Add Zest: Stir the chopped chocolate and 1 tablespoon orange zest into the warm cream. Fold gently until smooth and fully incorporated into a silky ganache.
- Cool and Chill Mixture: Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then cover with cling film to prevent condensation and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until firm and crumbly.
- Form Truffle Balls: Rinse hands under cold water to prevent sticking. Scoop small amounts of the chilled chocolate mixture and roll into bite-sized balls. Place them on a tray and refrigerate again to firm up.
- Melt Coating Chocolate: Melt the reserved 200 grams of dark chocolate either in the microwave in short bursts or using the double boiler method until smooth.
- Coat Truffles: Using a fork, dip each truffle ball into the melted chocolate, ensuring an even coat. Use a small skewer to lift and transfer them onto parchment paper.
- Decorate: While the coating is still wet, optionally add orange peel slices and edible gold leaf or glitter for a festive touch.
- Set and Store: Let the chocolate coating fully set at room temperature or in the fridge. Store finished truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- For best results, use high-quality dark chocolate with 50-70% cocoa content to get a rich flavor and smooth texture.
- Using cling film directly on the ganache surface prevents unwanted condensation during chilling.
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, a simple saucepan works well for the double boiler method.
- You can flavor truffles with different citrus zests or add a splash of liqueur for variation.
- Leftover cream and chocolate can be used to make a delicious eggless chocolate mousse.
- Try other coatings like desiccated coconut or chopped nuts for added texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 truffle (approx. 15 g)
- Calories: 85 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
