Spiced Hot Chocolate Truffle Gifts Recipe
Truffles make a versatile Christmas gift. Perfect to eat in their own right, but the twist on these is you can melt them down to make a delicious hot chocolate drink! Simply pour over hot milk in a heatproof glass or mug, and voilà!
Makes
30 truffles (10 with 3 truffles each)
Preparation:
15 minutes
Cooking:
1 hour, including setting times
Ingredients
For the truffles:
- 300ml coconut milk
- 40g cocoa powder
- 100g light muscovado sugar
- 350g vegan dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 90g vegan milk chocolate, finely chopped
- A pinch of salt
For the spiced sugar mix:
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 6 tbsp demerara sugar
- 100g roasted chopped hazelnuts
For the gift jars:
- 10 glass jars
- 180g vegan milk or dark chocolate, chopped
- 10 cinnamon sticks
- 10 star anise
- 30 cloves
- 30 cardamom pods
- 5 tsp dried rose petals
- Ribbon to decorate
- Labels to write the instructions
Method
1. Heat the coconut milk, 20g of the cocoa powder and muscovado sugar, over a medium-low heat. Stir regularly, until the muscovado sugar has melted into the coconut milk and is smooth.
2. Put the dark and milk chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the hot coconut milk mixture over the chocolate and leave for a minute to melt. Mix together with a wooden spoon until the chocolate mixture is smooth and silky. Add the salt to taste. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then cover the bowl with cling film and put into the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. Using a melon baller or two teaspoons, divide the mixture into 30 portions and form into balls. If the mixture is too loose, put it back in the freezer briefly or if it’s too firm, heat in the microwave for a few seconds.
4. Transfer the truffles into an airtight container, leaving enough space so they’re not touching and put them in the freezer again for 20 minutes to set. Once out of the freezer, roll the truffles again until they form evenly rounded balls.
5. Put the remaining cocoa powder in a large bowl. Roll the truffles in the cocoa so they coat evenly. Put the truffles back into an airtight container, leaving enough space so they’re not touching, and set aside in the fridge.
6. In a bowl, mix together the spices, sugar and hazelnuts. Divide the sugar mixture evenly between the 10 glass jars.
7. To assemble as a gift: Put 3 truffles into each jar with the chopped chocolate, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 3 cloves, 3 whole cardamom pods and . tsp dried rose petals. Wrap with a ribbon and add the instruction label. Write the instructions as follows:
To make a chocolate drink, you will need:
- 300ml vegan plant-based milk of your choice
- A small saucepan
- A small sieve
- A heatproof glass or mug
In the saucepan, gently heat up the milk with the whole spices. Put the truffles and half the spiced sugar into the glass or mug. Pour the hot milk through a sieve into the glass or mug. Mix until the truffles have dissolved. Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate and the rest of the spiced sugar.
Recipe courtesy of the Vegetarian Society. For more recipe inspiration, visit vegsoc.org
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