Christmas Baking, Day 1

Not to make anyone panic but… 12 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!! The child in me is so excited, the adult who still needs to buy Christmas presents – not so much.

It’s time for my first instalment into the Twelve Days of Baking! Christmas baking and cooking might be something you’re interested in, whether it be a hobby or something enjoyable to do with the kids, keep reading for yummy baking ideas and ways to keep your festive fun stress free!

The first recipe I would like to grace your screens with is a simple, yet effective, Christmas Chocolate Truffles recipe! These dark chocolate truffles are a perfect after-dinner bite as they aren’t too big and taste great. You can also make them with the little ones to give to their loved ones as a lovely home-made gift. They can be coated in a smooth, satisfying chocolate shell, or rolled in a Christmas topping of your choice. You might be thinking ‘hmm am I interested?’, so read ahead to find out how you can make these perfect morsels suitable for adults.

We have taken recipes from our own experience and other various sources, but we take no credit from those we have sourced from elsewhere. Links will be provided.

 Christmas Chocolate Truffles

This is a recipe that I’ve loved making since I was old enough to be sensible (or so my mum thought…) It’s an easy recipe to follow, no baking included.

What you’ll need:

  • 400g Dark Chocolate (70%), finely chopped.
  • 200ml Double Cream (150ml of cream if using milk or white chocolate, due to a higher fat content in the sweeter chocolates)
  • (OPTIONAL ADULT ADDITION: Swap out 100ml of the double cream with a liquor of your choice to make these yummy chocolate truffles a little less PG.)
  • Cocoa Powder
  • 200g Dark or Milk chocolate, for the coating.
  • 25g of white chocolate

Recommended:

  • A couple of large glass bowls
  • Chocolate thermometer
  • Saucepan
  • Spatula
  • Measuring jug
  • Weighing scales
  • Spoon and fork
  • Greaseproof paper
  • Piping bag or bottle

Toppings ideas…

  • Cocoa powder
  • Hazelnuts
  • Crushed candy canes
  • Crushed Wenzel’s gingerbread biscuits
  • Christmas sprinkles
  • Coconut shavings
  • White chocolate shavings
  • Daim bar
  • And any other yummy Christmas treats you can think of.

How to make these decadent treats…

Make the ganache filling

  • First step is to combine your cream, chocolate and liquor – if you’re opting to use it. VERY finely chop your 400g of chocolate. Put the cream and liquor into a pan on a very low heat. DO NOT LET THE CREAM BOIL!
  • Once the cream has started to steam, take it off the heat and combine with your chopped chocolate and stir until all chocolate has melted and the ganache is a silky texture. Leave to set at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge.

Tempering the chocolate for the coating

  • Whilst the ganache cools, create the melted chocolate for the coating. Finely chop the chocolate and put 150g in a glass bowl over a Bain Marie. Do not stir the chocolate. Heat to 45°, using the thermometer to check. If using milk or white chocolate, it should only be 43°.
  • When the chocolate has melted, take away from the heat.
  • To temper the chocolate, gradually add in the other 50g of finely chopped chocolate and stir continuously until it has reached 32°. If not all of the chocolate has melted, you can take it out!

Making the chocolates

  • Prepare a baking sheet or another flat surface with baking parchment or grease proof paper.
  • Use a cold metal spoon to scoop out a 1” ball of the chocolate ganache. Dust your hands with cocoa powder and roll into a ball. Can use gloves instead if you prefer.
  • Drop one of the ganache balls into the tempered chocolate. Use a metal spoon to ensure it is completely covered. Take it out with the spoon and transfer onto the baking parchment/ grease proof paper.
  • Leave at room temperature to set or put them in the fridge to speed things up! By putting them in the fridge, you are less likely to get shiny, smooth chocolates.
  • Alternatively, rather than dipping the ganache into the melted chocolate, you can roll them in cocoa powder or another Christmassy coating of your choice!
  • When the truffles are set, you need to temper the white chocolate to decorate. Use the same method as per the dark chocolate but only let the chocolate get to 43°, to avoid splitting. When adding the remainder of the chopped chocolate, the temperature should be reduced to 30°.
  • When the chocolate has been tempered, put into a small-nozzle piping bag or bottle, and drizzle over a selection of the chocolates.
  • Leave to set completely and serve at your next family gathering, friends meet-up or office party! They’re perfect as gifts wrapped in a little box with tissue paper, or whatever else you’d like to conceal these with! Be as inventive as you can
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