Friday Challenge 2012: A look back at what I’ve learnt

I’m afraid to say that I’m finished with my Friday Challenge feature for 2012! When I first set out doing it, it was mainly because I had started reading a lot more food blogs/ food magazines and I realised that there were loads of things in the food world which I had never cooked before!! I found myself leaving comments over and over again all saying the same thing “I’ve never tried that before but it looks nice”, so I thought well why not just get off my bum and try it instead of bookmarking it for the future. I’m the sort of person who likes a bit of structure in my life so Scott had suggested that I use my new-found desire to learn to set myself more of a cooking routine and create interesting blog posts along the way, which hopefully I did over the last 10 months

Some of the ingredients such as tofu, polenta, gnocchi and artichokes were all things that I had simply never cooked before. Tofu was my first choice because it seemed an obvious vegetarian ingredient. I quickly learnt after a few failed attempts at the Wagamama’s tofu soup that you need to press tofu otherwise it all falls apart. This challenge for me was as much about learning the balance of Asian flavours as it was about actual cooking techniques for tofu.

Sweet Marinated Tofu and Noodle Salad. My first ever Tofu recipe

Unlike tofu, which I had at least eaten in restaurants before, polenta was something I had no idea how to make or what it even tasted or felt like! Now I cook it all the time and I feel I have the confidence to be a bit more creative with it. My favourite polenta own recipe is still the first one I created because I felt it was when I began to get confident with flavours!

Spanish inspired black olive polenta with a smokey tomato sauce

Tomato soup with Basil Gnocchi Dumplings

I really enjoyed the artichoke challenge but I think I could have learnt a lot more. In the end it was more about the flavour rather than using a whole fresh artichoke in different ways!

Baked Artichoke and Quinoa Salad with Watercress

Others topicss I chose for my Friday Challenges were techniques or recipes which I had cooked a handful of times but I really wasn’t sure if I had done it correctly, such as risotto, cakes and bread. I know I still haven’t quite mastered the art of baking bread yet but that has become like my own personal Everest, and I’m still tackling it so I promise I will get my own recipe out there soon! Cakes on the other hand were given two months because I just had so much fun!

Coconut, Cherry and Dark Chocolate Cake with a Flaked Almond and Brown Sugar topping

I found risotto interesting because I discovered Delia’s Baked risotto which meant there was no boring standing and stirring bit. But in the end I stuck with tradition and veganised it which worked really nicely. I always avoid risotto in restaurants because it’s too rich with lots of cream and cheese so it was nice to have a fresher taste.

Many Herbs and Peas Risotto

Finally the other topics I chose were chocolate and spices, both chosen because although I use them all the time I had not developed a proper understanding of how to use them in the best possible way. Chocolate was fun because I have eaten ALOT of it before but not really cooked with it, other than melting it to drizzle on things. In the end I kind of used lots of techniques I’d learnt all in one dish -

White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse in edible chocolate cups

Curried Coconut Quinoa with Tofu and Green Beans

I’m stopping for the year now not because I think I’ve learnt everything there is to learn – far from it!! – but because I just want to focus on a few other things going on and it has become more of a hassle than a fun experience. I have another big feature planned for next year sort of along the same lines which I am really excited about!! But you’ll find out about that nearer the time mwahaha.

Thank you to everyone who let me cook their recipes and helped me learn all these new techniques! x

Coconut, Cherry and Dark Chocolate Cake

I know it’s not the end of the month but today I made my own recipe of a cake and had to share it! I might try another of my ideas next week or I may call it a day on the cakes because I am having to visit the gym more frequently

Coconut cake with a cherry and dark chocolate layer topped with flaked almonds and brown sugar

I absolutely loved the Bakewell cake I made last week with the fruits layered in between the cake sponge mix. I decided to take this idea but put my own flavours into it, Cherries are at the end of their season and I picked up a large bag from my local market for cheap, if you can’t get cherries any more and don’t want to wait untill next summer then any berry would work just as well. Preferably a sweeter berry such as a raspberry or strawberry.

I got the idea for the brown sugar topping from a comment left by Loustar on my courgette and lemon cake and I loved it, so much nicer than a sweet icing (which this cake definitely did not need) and a bit more interesting than icing sugar. When I sprinkled the brown sugar on top it looked beautiful like glitter! This topping is completely optional but does look so rustic and pretty.

Love the beautiful cherries piled on top!

I had enjoyed the flavours of the ground almonds in the BBC Bakewell recipe and I decided that with the rich chocolate and cherries I would also need an element of the cake which would break through those flavours. I decided on desiccated coconut because it is quite earthy and would top off the chocolate beautifully (any one else love bounty bars??)

I also couldn’t help but pile flaked almonds on the top for that crunch! This topping is also optional but delicious, maybe it would also work with the coconut sprinkled on top!

The cherries and chocolate ooze out from in between the cake sponge

Makes 1 cake to serve however many you fancy!

140g Unsalted Butter
140g Caster Sugar
140g Self Raising flour
70g desiccated Coconut (not the sweetened variety)
3 Medium Sized Eggs
300g unpitted cherries
50g Dark Chocolate chips (or grated chocolate if you’re using a bar of chocolate)
Brown Sugar for decoration

NB: Pitting the cherries is a very mundane job if you don’t have a fancy little gadget that does it for you. I found halving the cherry then digging the stone out of one side was the easiest and quickest. Put a handful of whole cherries to one side to decorate the top.

Pre heat the oven to 170c (fan oven) and butter/ line a 22cm/ 9 inch diameter cake tin. Lining it is annoyingly time-consuming for someone inpatient like me but if you are wanting to take it out of the tin easily this is an important part of the process.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar using an electric whisk (you can use a food processor if you have one but I don’t so I find that putting a clean tea towel over a bowl will help stop the mix flying everywhere. It’s insanely unhealthy but also impossible not to just dip a finger in at this point! but yes maybe don’t eat the mix quite yet!

Once the butter and sugar is light and fluffy sift in the flour and add the sugar, coconut and eggs. Mix well untill everything is combined and you have a moist cake batter.

Tip half of the cake mixture into the cake tin and spread out to form one even layer. Cover with a layer of pitted cherries and evenly sprinkle over the chocolate chips then top the whole lot with the rest of the cake mixture and gently smooth it down using a spatula or the back of a spoon (or your finger) so that the cherries are completely covered. At this point if you are using the flaked almonds then sprinkle those over.

Put on the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes. Check the cake is cooked but inserting a knife or poker and if it comes out clean then the cake is done. It should also be golden on top.

Leave it too cool in the tin then remove and place on a wire rack untill it is completely cooled. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pile some fresh cherries on top.

surprise colours when you slice into the cake

Marbled Chocolate and Sponge cake: Friday Challenge

My Friday Challenge has become a bit of a Sunday Challenge. There is just something about baking, it feels more natural to bake a cake after a nice lazy sunday morning when your feeling relaxed and you have a day free from distractions. Also it feels more accepted to have a slice of cake…or two…on a weekend rather than during the week!

A slice of pretty marbled cake AKA Zebra cake

I saw this technique when browsing pinterest for cake ideas and it looks so simple yet impressive I really had to try it, I followed the link back to a great blog called My Cake School where I found a visual tutorial. The recipes I found all used instant cake mixes, which I was very tempted by, however this challenge is to help me learn to bake so I made my own cake mix.

I decided to dip into my Delia Smith “Complete Cookery Course” which I knew would have a simple sponge recipe I could adapt for this marbled technique. I used the “All in One Sponge” which was so easy to make. I’m also starting to notice that cake recipes use equal measures of flour, sugar and butter so I feel I could begin to put together my own recipe.

Ok so here is how I made the cake:

Split the cake mix in half and add melted chocolate and cocoa powder to one half

Place a scoop of the sponge mix in the tin and then a scoop of chocolate cake mix in the middle

Place another scoop of plain sponge mix on top of the chocolate. Continue this alternating the two mixes untill it is all used up and the cake has spread out to fill the tin

Mine’s not beautiful round rings but you get the idea of what you are looking for

I think my cake mix was a little too thick to allow it to smoothly begin to spread as I added each layer, I would suggest using a looser thin cake mix. Also I really liked the chocolate flavours but you could also experiment with different colours!

Marbled/ Zebra Cake

I don’t think the chocolate flavour came through massively but over all it was a light, sweet sponge. Also I preferred it with no icing, instead I added some fresh strawberries to add some moisture and fresh sweetness. So much nicer than sugary icing!

The Great British Bake off and Mary Berry’s Chocolate Cake (Fast Cakes cookbook): Friday Challenge!

Photo Source: http://www.thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/about

I was a bit excited when the other day my friend told me The Great British bake-off was restarting on BBC. Not only does it time perfectly with my Cake Friday Challenge month but also I had already baked a Mary Berry recipe ready to be put forward as one of my efforts to learn the art of cakes (Mary Berry is one of the judges and quite rightly “The Queen of Cakes”).

For those of you who may not know about this show here is a little summary. Twelve amateur bakers all compete each week to be crowned The UK’s Best Amateur Baker, each week focuses on a different theme such as cakes, bakes, pies, bread etc. For each theme they have to do three challenges, a signature bake which gives them a chance to show off individual skills. Then a technical challenge where they all follow the same recipe (usually with quite varying results) and finally the show stopper round where they are allowed to be as creative as possible. This final round includes things like Celebration cakes.

I watched the first episode this week and guess what they were making…cakes! Although I have to say they were FAR beyond my capabilities so I don’t think you’ll be seeing me as a contestant in the near future. They began with a signature dish challenge where they had to make “upside down” cakes. I found this hugely inspiring and helpful because I had actually been thinking of doing something like this as my own recipe and I feel very stupid because in my head I was going to put the cake batter into a cake tin and then pile the fruit on top and put it in the oven. What a mess I would have made!

Next they had to cook Paul Hollywood’s recipe for Rum Baba’s, a doughnut shaped cake with cream in the middle and fruit around the edges. This round is always brilliant because the recipe they are asked to follow is often vague and it is left down to the contestant’s intuition. I felt so sorry for poor Natasha last night when she decided to take a risk and cook the cake in a Bain- Marie where as everyone else baked theirs. They also have to guess how it will be presented!

Finally there is the show stopper round and this week’s challenge was a “Hidden Design” cake. So when you cut the cake in half there is a design hidden within the actual sponge. Some of the creativity and ideas blew me away! One woman Victoria (My current favourite so far) made a cake which looked like a pie with black birds coming out of the top, when you cut into it there was a picture black bird holding on to a coin within the sponge, it was truly fantastic. Unfortunately I can’t find a picture of it but here is a link to her recipe on the BBC.

So on to my own experimentation with cake – Mary Berry’s First Rate Chocolate cake from her book Fast Cakes.

A slice of Chocolate Cake using Mary Berry’s recipe

This recipe was so easy compared to the Victoria Sponge I made last week, and had a lot less sugar and butter. It is literally a case of mixing ingredients in a large bowl, pour into cake tin and bake in the oven. The sponge is flavoured with cocoa powder so is quite light in colour but it made a lovely fluffy cake. I loved the icing on the top too it was very rich and gooey!

My mum always makes notes in her cook books (something I have taken to doing too!) and so when I saw this I knew this was going to be my next cake..

I actually made this cake twice in the same weekend because I decided it was so easy I could quickly knock it up to take around to my dads for his birthday dinner. Over the two times I made it I made a few mistakes -

1. On my first attempt I thought my icing wasn’t thick enough so I poured in some more icing sugar, however this clumped and made it lumpy and speckled with icing sugar clumps instead of smooth and glossy.

2. On my second time making it I was sifting my flour into the bowl and soon realised my scales hadn’t registered the weight so I had to guess. This meant the cake for my dad was a bit drier than my first one which was a shame.

3. I decided to decorate my dads cake with chocolate buttons so made the icing on the hob then let it cool slightly, then I started to ice and decorate the cake. I have no idea why I did this but I very quickly realised that everything was melting and sliding off the cake and then it hit me – I’ve put the cake plate onto the top of the oven over the warm hob! The chocolate buttons were melting quickly! I had to just stick it in the fridge and hope for the best!

This is the sort of recipe I feel I could have fun playing around with, using different flavours of cocoa powder such as orange and layering caramelised oranges on top or mixing in chocolate chips! For this one I used Green and Blacks Organic Cocoa powder it was delicious!

What I have learnt about Cakes:
Getting the quantity of flour right is crucial as adding even slightly too much can result in a dry cake! Also make sure to sift the ingredients, especially in the icing, because other wise it could be lumpy. I think it’s pretty clear that I also learnt that when decorating the cake it should be kept cold and not placed over a direct heat source……..

I really liked just having the one layer of cake, the victoria sponge looked impressive but was soo big it almost felt like having a whole meal with each slice. This chocolate cake was rich but just a small slice would satisfy. I think I will carry on making one layer cakes but we’ll see!

A Rather Grown-up Chocolate Rice Krispie Cake

I know what you were instantly thinking…ooh alcoholic! But unfortunately no I have not made alcoholic krispie cakes, although if you were to soak the dried fruit in a liquor of your choice first I wouldn’t tell any one!As long as I can have one too

I decided I needed a sweet fix which wouldn’t be too unhealthy and without the need to actually bake anything and I instantly thought back to the easiest cake in the world to make (which was also the most fun when we were younger) ……rice krispies cakes. These are simply made by pouring rice krispies into a large bowl, melting chocolate in a seperate bowl and then mixing them together. Place scoops of chocolatey rice krispie mixture into muffin cases and set in the fridge. You could add all sorts such as marshmallows and smarties but for us adults I thought why not add some dried fruits and “Superfoods”…

I had recently invested in some amazing varieties of Linwoods ‘Superfoods’ which includes sachets of organic milled flaxseed, shelled hemp, milled flaxseed mixed with nuts, milled flax with seeds and goji berries and finally milled flaxseeds with cocoa berries.

I have also tried stirring these into my porridge but I think this (covered in chocolate) is my favourite way of eating them. These have been great for me because it’s not something I would add to every meal but the mini sachets at a reasonable price has meant I have been able to experiment without buying a big bag of one flavour.

We also had quite a bit of dried fruit left over from our wedding (we had tiers of wheels of cheese with cake stands next to it filled with dried fruits and grapes) so I had been thinking of a way of using these up too. There isn’t a strict recipe for these cakes as I have changed it everytime I make them so I’m just going to give you a few suggestions of the combinations we have enjoyed. Choose a couple of ingredients from each category and have fun!

Cereals:
Rice Krispies
Branflakes
Cornflakes
Granola
Oats

Dried Fruits: Chop into small pieces
Dried Cranberries (craisins)
Raisins
Dried Figs
Prunes
Dried Apricots

Mixed Nuts: Chop into small pieces
Brazil nuts
Almonds
Macademias

Superfoods:
Milled Organic Flaxseed
Shelled Hemp
Milled Flaxseed, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Walnuts
Milled Flax, Sunflower, Pumpkin and Sesame Seeds and Goji Berries
Milled Flaxseed, Cocoa and Berries

Mix all of your chosen ingredients from the above categories together in a bowl then choose a type of chocolate (any type will do!) and melt it in a seperate bowl. Pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. I have found that 150g of chocolate will make around 10 cakes. Then fill the muffin cases with the mix and put in the fridge to set.

Chocolate: (I have always used Green n Blacks)
Dark Chocolate
Ginger Chocolate
Cherry Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
White Chocolate

Marbled Chocolate Energy Bars (Delia Vegetarian): Friday Challenge!

I chose this recipe because it looked so impressive with the marbled top, I wasn’t sure mine would look like the picture in the book but it did such a satisfying feeling! I jotted the recipe down on a piece of paper when I was visiting my mum in France so I don’t have a photo of Delia’s version but you can find the recipe here and you can buy her Vegetarian book here

I liked the fact that it was an “energy bar” not a flapjack, even though when I took them into work I just called them flapjacks for simplicity. Although after eating them everyone did say they tasted much healthier than a flapjack and it was obviously not filled with syrup and sugar. I made a few changes to the recipe just because (as usual) I wanted to use up some ingredients I had in the cupboard – I swapped pecans for just a bag of mixed nuts, I also swapped the apricots and raisins for dried figs and dried cranberries. I think the fruits and nuts I used tasted great so was really happy it still worked.

I was nervous about using condensed milk because I haven’t eaten it in years and I didn’t really understand how it was going to bind everything together. I bought a squeezy tube of condensed milk and it worked great, it also meant I had none left over which also suited me fine!

The recipe says it served 16 and I have to admit I was very tempted to just cut it into 8 or 10 slices because 16 slices were so small! But I sliced it into 16 in the end and I would recommend sticking to this size as the bar is quite rich and filling. It also meant I didn’t feel so guilty when eating it!

What I have learnt about chocolate:

When teamed with other flavours like dried fruit and nuts, chocolate can make the snack more indulgent and more of a treat. Chocolate also doesn’t have to be the main ingredient to take centre stage as it can be used to decorate and enhance other flavours within the recipe.

I absolutely loved the marbled effect, it was so easy to do but it looks so impressive and makes the bar look much more special. Next week I definitely want to play around with using chocolate for a visual effect as well as adding to the flavour!

A Lesson in Chocolate with Cara from “Fork n Beans” Blog

I needed a little help with my chocolate month as although I know I can follow some recipes I wanted to learn more about how chocolate could fit into different dietary requirements such as gluten free and vegan….well I didn’t have to look much further than the fabulous Fork n Beans blog as Cara specialises in exactly that – gluten free, vegan cooking and baking!!

Her blog continues to astound  me with her extremely creative and clever recipes. Take for example her RAW Chocolate hearts and the Gluten, Dairy and Egg free Date and Caramel Cupcakes (Both pictured below)

These are recipes which I just wouldn’t even know where to begin dreaming up, yet Cara makes it possible  and I think you’ll agree she does it with class! So I contacted Cara to sneakily get a few hints and tips from her! I just wanted to learn (and share) how you could get started with a project such as gluten free, vegan and even raw baking, in particular with chocolate.

Here is our foodilicious interview

How did you go about researching how to bake vegan and gluten free recipes when you first started?

The internet became my biggest source of help. I couldn’t get enough of reading articles, studying recipes, understanding the science of baking, as well as vegan/gf baking. It was a real struggle for the first 2-3 months actually, but hindsight has shown me that it really was my mistakes that taught me the most. Kitchen failures are meant to be teaching moments; opportunities to learn from them and turn them into knowledge.

Are there any ingredients that are a must for someone who wants to do gluten free/ vegan baking?

It depends on what your individual taste preferences are, but I strongly suggest playing around with a variety of gf flours and find which flavors you enjoy most in baked goods. The items that I always have in stock are: sorghum and brown rice flours (both Authentic Foods Brand), arrowroot powder, potato startch, flaxseed meal, xanthan gum, raw apple cider vinegar, baking powder and soda, and of course, I always have a stash of non-dairy chocolate chips on hand.

Understanding the science of what makes a good egg replacer as well as how to create a good gluten free all purpose mix have been of tremendous help for me. For me, it’s not necessarily the ingredients but the knowledge that have been of most help.

What sort of mistakes would someone expect to make when beginning with vegan baking?

ALL mistakes. ha. Really, you go from one way of baking to a completely different kind–of course you are going to make mistakes! The sooner you accept the fact that you *will* make mistakes, the better your positive attitude toward yourself will be. With that said, it’s a real trick figuring out how to make baked goods rise without eggs, not to mention how to avoid it from becoming too crumbly or too dense. Expect a lot of paper weights and caved in cupcakes

Is there a difference in taste between vegan chocolate and non vegan chocolate?

I personally don’t taste it. I really like a brand called Enjoy Life, which to me, is identical to real chocolate chips. Also remember that dark chocolate typically doesn’t have dairy in it so you can indulge in that {just make sure you read the ingredients to make sure}.

What’s your favourite vegan chocolate recipe?

I am really proud of my collection of candy bar recipes {all vegan and gluten free}. It’s hard to narrow it down to one but I would have to say the Baby Ruths are one of my favorites. Or the Twix bars. Or the Whatchamacallit. Or the Snickers. haha.

I know you have made some raw recipes before, what made you decide to dabble in the world of the raw food diet?

Though I eat a gluten free and vegan diet, I am always evolving in my diet, looking for new ways to improve my health. Despite the fact that I eat a rather balanced diet, I have to keep in mind that I have poor digestion and the lure of raw foods has always drawn me in. I never felt better than I did while on my 2 week “detox” eating raw.

Can chocolate be used in raw recipes?

You can definitely make raw chocolate! It usually is a blend of raw cacao powder, coconut oil, and a sweetner of choice. I made a raw vegan Cadbury Creme Egg using cashews, oats, and raw chocolate.

Does vegan chocolate behave differently to non vegan chocolate when being cooked or is it very similar?

It’s is 100% the same.

Do you have a favourite type of chocolate you use?

Enjoy Life Chocolate chips or a good grade dark chocolate bar. I typically like to blend both together.

What is your favourite flavour combination using chocolate?

I am a sucker for the sweet and salty combo, so you can never go wrong with a chocolate and nut mix. Or a raw date caramel sauce is a nice touch too

I’d really like to have a go at making a raw chocolate recipe so this is something I’ll bear in mind for Aprils Friday Challenge Hope you enjoyed our lesson in chocolate – Gluten Free/ Dairy Free stylee! Thanks Cara xx

I’m not a Chocaholic…but I will be in April!

Well my risotto month is over so I thought I’d have a break this week before starting my April Friday Challenge month…which I can reveal is CHOCOLATE! I decided to choose chocolate to celebrate Easter and jump out of my comfort zone but I have to admit I am absolutely dreading this month for a couple of reasons:

1. I am going to get fat!
2. I don’t have a clue what to make for my own recipe (I usually have a few ideas brewing)

I read some really amazing blogs which focus on sweet treats/ baked goods etc and I admire the sheer volume of recipes building up on their sites. The main thing I can’t help thinking is “Do they eat all of those delicious recipes themselves?”

With my own cooking I try to tie blog recipes with evening/ weekend meals so that I’m not making extra food that will end up being gobbled up and regretted later. However unless we have a chocolate cake for dinner this isn’t going to work this month!

I think I will either choose recipes which can be frozen, then I will hide them at the back of the freezer until I have people over who I can pass it on too or I will be sending Scott into work with a goodie bag for all the guys! I have a feeling we’d be a very popular couple if I did that, he’d have to make sure he gave the biggest piece to his boss!

Apart from being scared about giving into my inner fat persons dreams and devouring a month of chocolate I’m also worried that the month will conclude with a few strawberries dipped in chocolate! At the moment that is the extent of my sweet tooth capabilities.

I guess unlike the other months where I have been able to pull on my tastes, experience and tried and tested flavour combinations this time I really am learning something really new to me! I understand herbs and spices and what vegetable to put with what and how to cook them to bring out the best in them but I don’t know how chocolate will react to different cooking techniques! I have eaten many types of chocolate before so at the moment I am searching deep into those memories to remember what my favourite flavour was!

I also need to remember the fact that chocolate = lactose and tonnes of chocolate recipes seem to involve other no go areas such as cream, yoghurt etc! I will definitely be sticking to dark chocolate where I can and I’m even tempted to try vegan chocolate and raw chocolate powder…two things I never ever thought I’d say a year ago!

So here’s to a month of chocolate, I will do my best to enjoy the sugar filled journey I have set myself and hopefully broaden my skills in the dessert section!

We live, we learn and erm we eat chocolate?

Amaretto & Baileys flavoured truffles: Home made food gifts!

This is my first try at making truffles and they were surprisingly easy and very delicious! I used this recipe: BBC Good Food Truffles to get the ratio of chocolate to cream but I made some changes to create flavours I love! These will be a great gift and also I plan to take them to a dinner party to share with everyone during after dinner drinks .

The best bit also is that you can change the flavours or toppings to whatever you fancy!

Heres my amended recipe:

200g Dark chocolate (70% Cocoa)
200g Milk Chocolate
150ml Reduced fat double cream (It does exist!! but use normal if you like)
4 teaspoon Amaretto
4 teaspoon Baileys
a few good quality Biscotti Biscuits
Cocoa Powder for dusting

Chop the chocolate quite roughly and put it into a bowl with the cream and melt either in the microwave (20-30 seconds at a time and stirring each time) or place the bowl over a pan of shallow hot water and stir untill melted.

Once melted split the mixture into two separate bowls and stir the Ameretto into one of the bowls and Baileys into the other bowl of chocolate. Put in the fridge and chill for 2-3 hours.

Once firm use a melon baller or I used a spoon and then rolled them into a ball in my hands and then roll the Baileys truffles in the cocoa powder and the Ameretto truffles in the crushed biscotti biscuits then put back in the fridge to firm up again.

You can freeze them untill you need them or keep the in the fridge for a few days untill needed!

I’m not sure I made mine perfectly round truffles but wow they taste delicious!! I also had the idea to roll them in flavoured hot chocolate powder to create orange or mint truffles!

This isn’t the usual recipe you will find on here and I apologise to my lactose intolerant friends as this isn’t very friendly for us (I ate three last night and my tummy had a little moan) but it is Christmas and I couldn’t resist sharing this little gem of a recipe for those of you wanting to find a quick and easy food gift for your friends and family.