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Recipe: Rosemary and Bay Leaf Truffles

Rosemary and Bay Truffles – “The Essence of Flavour”

Truffle faux pas

Last year, as a gift for a kind favour, Robin and I baked these amazing truffles and presented them to a neighbour in a pretty glass jar. She looked at us almost in disgust. Not only had we gone through the …Continue reading here for Ashley’s post and the recipe by Heston Blumenthal.

Recipe Rosemary and Bay Leaf Truffles

Rosemary and Bay Chocolate Truffles

Ashley Tinker
This recipe is from Heston Blumenthal at Home, Published by Bloomsbury. North Americans, forgive me, but this recipe uses grams. If you don’t have a weighing scale you should buy one. Heston is all about precision. Cups are a useless and measurement system.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 25 truffles

Ingredients
  

  • 25 g fresh rosemary ideally, sprigs foraged from the Provencal countryside
  • 3 bay leaves also foraged! Or perhaps a plant in your garden?
  • 300 ml whipping cream
  • 275 g Dark Chocolate chopped (minimum 65% cocoa solids)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • cocoa powder to finish

Crispy Chocolate Coating (optional)

  • 100 g caster sugar white
  • 40 g Dark Chocolate roughly chopped (minimum of 60% cocoa solids)

Instructions
 

  • Put the rosemary sprigs, bay leaves and whipping cream in a small saucepan and place over a low heat to warm for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the pan to stand for 30 minutes.
  • While the cream is infusing, line a deep-sided container or baking tray, 20 x 30cm, with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Strain the infused cream, discarding the herbs, and return it to the saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and bring up to a simmer.
  • Melt the chocolate in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Or use a double boiler.
  • When the cream is simmering, remove the pan from the heat, add the salt, and add to the melted chocolate a third time, making sure that the cream is thoroughly incorporated after each addition. Allow to cool slightly.
  • Pour the chocolate mixture onto the lined tray and leave to stand at room temperature for 4 hours, then place in the fridge for 5-6 hours or until set.
  • Using a small melon baller, scoop balls of the chocolate out of the ganache, or cut into cubes, then roll in cocoa powder (or the crispy chocolate coating below).

Crispy Chocolate Coating (optional)

  • This lovely effect is produced by means of sugar crystallization. By adding chocolate to a sugar syrup at the right moment, you can ‘shock’ the sugar into forming crystals, creating a powdery, sandy texture that’s just right for a truffle coating.
  • Put 75g cold tap water and the sugar into a saucepan and place the pan over high heat. Bring to the boil and continue to heat until the temperature of the liquid reaches 135°C or until the syrup at the side of the pan begins to colour.
  • Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Whisk to incorporate the chocolate and continue to whisk until the liquid has completely crystallized.
  • Pour the chocolate crystals onto a parchment-lined baking tray and allow to cool. They can be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.
Keyword Chocolate, Dessert
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Recipe from Heston Blumenthal at Home, Published by Bloomsbury and available on Amazon.

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Ashley Tinker

Ashley was born and raised in Montréal, Canada. She has always been drawn to the history, way of life and beauty of Europe. Her feelings for Europe were reconfirmed while studying art in Florence, Italy. Ashley says that stone buildings, colourful shutters and terra cotta tile rooftops fill her dreams and now her days.

Ashley moved to Provence in 2014 with her partner Robin (he also shares her Francophile passions). They are in search of the French joie de vivre, which they find at every turn in the local markets and natural beauty of Provence. This couple are indulging in local olives and wine as the Provencal sunshine changes craggy rocks into things of beauty.

You can see all of Ashley's blog posts on Curious Provence.

Take a look at Ashley's beautiful fine art photography on her Photographer in Provence website.

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