This Chocolate Truffles recipe is a must for Christmas treats! Many years ago, when I lived in a house that had more space than our current, 200 year old renovated farmhouse I made hampers at Christmas time Every hamper contained at least one box of chocolate truffles as well as that other Christmas favourite, shortbread. Favourite flavours included milk chocolate orange truffles, milk chocolate caramel truffles, white chocolate Baileys truffles and plain chocolate mint truffles (my personal favourite as I love all things chocolate AND mint) but you could use any flavour combination of your choice.
These are very easy to make though time consuming to roll into balls and coat so you can make the mixture up in advance and roll the truffles the next day. It was always a family affair in our house with the kids getting involved, one weighed the mixture, another rolled it into balls, yet another rolled the balls in sugar to coat them and someone else stacked them on trays to set. We could have made several hundred truffles in a night once we got going!
As with everything baked, quality of ingredients matters. Use a good quality chocolate that you’d want to eat, no ‘chocolate flavoured cake covering’ here! You also need full fat, sweetened condensed milk, low fat or evaporated milk just won’t work. Likewise with the butter, proper block butter is required, both for taste and setting properties. For citrus flavours I would highly recommend Boyajian oils. These are the pure oil extracted from the rind of the fruit and there is just no comparison with flavourings. I have listed a few options for different flavours of truffles but feel free to create your own, adding your choice of flavour to taste.
Please let me know what flavours you try and how they turn out!
Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 500 g milk or plain chocolate if making white chocolate truffles use 600 g white chocolate
- 1 397 g tin sweetened condensed milk see Recipe Notes for details of how to make caramel truffles
- 50 g butter block butter, not spreadable
- sugar or drinking chocolate, for rolling I use drinking chocolate for orange, caster sugar for mint, soft brown sugar for caramel and icing sugar for Baileys – but you can use any you choose
For Chocolate Orange Truffles
- 1 teaspoon Boyajian orange oil
For Vanilla or Caramel Truffles
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Baileys Truffles
- 3 tablespoons Baileys liqueur
For Peppermint Truffles
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil
Instructions
- Place the chocolate, condensed milk and butter in a microwaveable bowl and heat on full power for 30 second intervals, stirring every 30 seconds, until everything is melted and fully combined.
- Cover the mixture closely with cling film to prevent a crust forming and allow to set.
- Divide the mixture into small balls of approximately 20 g each, this is easiest done with a small portion scoop but you can do it by eye – or use scales.
- Roll each ball in your choice of sugar and allow to firm up overnight before packing in a box or film bag.