Chocolate truffles

Ever make homemade chocolate ganache truffles? They take a little time to make, but they melt in your mouth like buttah. I was invited to a garden party last weekend and made a batch, and also built a nest for them by dipping bamboo sprigs into chocolate, then placing some pansies here and there. Very organic and garden-partyish... and insanely decadent.

Ingredients for truffles

10 oz. dark chocolate, chopped into pieces

2/3 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp butter, sliced into thin pieces
pinch of cinnamon and fleur de sel (sea salt), optional

to coat truffles
1 large 3.5 oz bar milk chocolate
1 cup cocoa powder

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To make truffles
Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Whisk gently until chocolate has melted. Add the butter gently whisk some more until melted. Once the butter is incorporated the ganache should be smooth and glassy. You can add the cinnamon and sea salt now if you wish. Taste. Set the truffle mixture in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

Remove the ganache from the fridge, and use a melon baller tool to scoop spoonfuls of the ganache mixture from the bowl to form the truffles. Place truffles on waxed cookie sheet as you go along. Taste. Once all the truffles have been formed, place in fridge to chill, then prepare to coat them in milk chocolate and dust with cocoa powder.

Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler, and meanwhile put the cocoa powder into another bowl. Pick up one truffle at a time, dip partway into the melted chocolate, then roll in the truffle in the palms of your hands to coat. Drop the truffle into the cocoa powder, roll around to coat, then remove with a fork and place on another waxed cookie sheet. Taste. Yes, it takes time and it's a very messy business—you can use latex gloves. Store in an air tight container. Don't forget to taste as you make these!