Having spent many years in South America, I’ve discovered that it’s hard to beat fine run as a partner to good chocolate.
I make these truffles using lovely fat raisins soaked in Venezuelan rum.
The raisins absorb the rum and burst in your mouth when you eat them, producing an amazing cacophony of flavours.
100g raisins
1 ½ tbsp. dark rum
170 ml double cream
80g raw cane sugar
180g 100% roughly chopped Rio Caribe 100% cacao, coffee nutty notes. Or if you prefer, use 260g Rio Caribe 72% Chef’s Drops and remove the sugar.
20g unsalted butter softened
For the coating:
80g Rio Caribe 72% Chef’s Drops, coffee nutty notes
Rio Caribe 72% 80g bar, coffee nutty notes, roughly grated.
Equipment: 20-cm square shallow baking tin
Soak the raisins in the rum for 48 hours.
Lightly oil or butter the baking tin and line with baking paper.
Heat the cream and sugar in a saucepan over a moderate heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the cacao until it has melted and is well combined.
Stir in the raisins with 1 ½ tbsp. of the rum they were soaked in. Add the butter and mix well. Finally, pour the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the top and chill until firm.
Fill a jug with freshly boiled water. Heat a sharp knife by dipping it into the water, then wipe dry.
Use the knife to cut the firm truffle mix into 8 rows widthways and lengthways to make 64 pieces.
For the coating
Melt 80g of the chocolate in a bain marie. Spread the other 80g of the grated chocolate on a plate.
Dip the truffles into the chocolate and then roll them in the grated chocolate.
until coated on all sides. If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the truffles will keep well for up to 2 weeks, but eat them at room temperature