Natalia's chocolate truffles

Jo Elwin

These truffles are the best in town and they come from one of my favourite cookbooks — The Engine Room Eatery. As owners Natalia Schamroth and Carl Koppenhagen write, "The Engine Room wouldn't be the Engine Room without these rich truffles. They are the perfect end to a meal along with an espresso or glass of Pedro Ximenez sherry. They make a pretty good staff breakfast alongside a caffe latte too."

You can buy The Engine Room Eatery at engineroom.net.nz

Ingredients

300 g	Chocolate, 55%, coarsely chopped (Main)
100 g	Chocolate, 64%, coarsely chopped
1 cup	Cream
1	Espresso coffee, double shot
300 g	Chocolate, 64%, coarsely chopped
3 cups	Cocoa powder, best quality

Directions

1. Place the first two measures of chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream until almost boiling. Pour the cream and espresso over the chocolate, leave for 5 minutes then whisk the mixture until smooth. Pour the chocolate mix through a fine sieve into a shallow glass or ceramic container. Allow to cool completely then refrigerate until set (preferably overnight).
2. The next day use a hot teaspoon to roll the mixture into truffle shapes or use a melon baller for perfect rounds. Place the truffles on a flat tray lined with baking paper and freeze overnight.
3. Place the second measure (300g) of 64% chocolate in a stainless steel or glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, without it touching the water. Once the chocolate is melted, stir briefly until smooth then remove from the heat. Place the cocoa in a bowl.
4. Working quickly, drop the chilled truffles into the melted chocolate one by one. Remove with a fork, shaking off any excess chocolate, and drop into the cocoa. Leave in the cocoa until the chocolate has set (around 5 minutes) then transfer to a container lined with baking paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The cocoa can be sieved and reused and any leftover melted chocolate can be eaten or kept for another use.