Valentines Day Chocolate & Baileys Cream Truffles

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I thought I would share with you something simple & special for that special person in your life! 

The days of buying a box of Dairy Milk at the last minute should be long gone by now and taking the time to make something yourself is a great way to show how much you really care! Beautifully balanced with a hint of bitter coffee and Baileys Cream, these rich little delicacies melt in your mouth and will be a very welcome way to your lover's heart.

These little home-made Chocolate Truffles are so easy to make, but they taste divine and the secret ingredient is simply a big dollop of Tender Loving Care! 

My Ingredients:

450g Dark chocolate broken in small pieces

75g   Cocoa Powder

35ml Cold Espresso or strong coffee

35ml Baileys Cream Liqueur

250ml Fresh Cream

Cocoa Powder, Dessicated coconut, ground Almonds or sponge-cake crumbs for coating.

My Method:

1. Melt chocolate together with the cream. You can do this in a bowl sitting over a pot of simmering water. Don't let any water get into your chocolate or it will go into a masse from which there is no return!

Make sure the bowl sits above the water level

2. Take the chocolate off the heat. Mix together the cocoa powder, cold coffee and Baileys and stir this liquid mixture into the melted chocolate.

3. You have just made what is known as a chocolate "ganache". If you were to let this cool a little at this stage it could be used for pouring over a cake as a covering.

4. Cover the bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge until cold. This will take 2 hours or so. You can leave it overnight if you wish as you long as everyone can avoid the temptation to steal little spoonfuls!

Dip the spoon in hot water and dry it, before scooping out the "ganache" 

5. Give the mix a good stir with a wooden spoon before you start to measure it out with a warm teaspoon. When you have them all done, roll them, with your hands, into little balls.

6. Finally roll your Truffles in the coatings of your choice. This is best done by having your crumbs, cocoa, almonds or whatever all sitting in separate soup bowls so you can literally 'roll' the ball around in the coating.

Yum! Chocolate & Baileys Cream Truffles

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

Zack