Holiday Sweets

Rum Truffles

Preparation time 25 minutes
Standing time 10–20 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes
Makes about 24 truffles

Ingredients for rum truffles

200 g plain dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons rum
60 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pouring cream
1/4 cup ground almonds
2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted, for coating

Preparation Method for rum truffles

1. Melt the chocolate in the rum in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not allow the water to boil or the chocolate to become too hot. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat in the butter, a little at a time. Stir in the cream, ground almonds and icing sugar. Let the mixture cool, then chill for about 10 minutes, or until firm enough to handle.

2. With dampened fingertips, take teaspoons of the mixture and roll into small balls. Roll in the cocoa powder, spread on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and refrigerate until firm. Put the truffles in individual paper cases and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator – they will keep for up to 10 days. Serve after dinner with coffee.

Variations
Orange Truffles: Add orange juice instead of rum and 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange rind.
Coffee Truffles: Use 1–2 tablespoons black coffee instead of the rum.
Hazelnut Truffles: Replace the ground almonds with 1/4 cup ground hazelnuts.

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