White chocolate espresso truffles

These truffles are so delicious and perfect for giving away as gifts for chocolate lovers!  Makes about 50 Ingredients:

• 250ml (8fl oz) double cream
• 50g (2oz) whole espresso beans
• 400g (14oz) white chocolate, chopped
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 300g (11oz) dark chocolate, (70% cocoa solids), tempered
• 550g (1lb 3oz) white chocolate, tempered
• 10g (¼oz) espresso beans, very finely ground (optional)

Method:

1. Line the base of a shallow baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Place the cream and espresso beans in a small pan over a moderate heat and bring to just under a boil. Allow the beans to steep for about 10 minutes, then heat the mixture to just under the boil again.
3. Place the chopped white chocolate in a bowl and, holding a fine-mesh sieve above it to catch the espresso beans, pour in the hot cream.
4. Add the brandy and leave to cool. When the mixture is cool and the chocolate looks melted, whisk to form a smooth, creamy ganache. Take care not to overmix it as the white chocolate can seize up.
5. Leave the ganache for about 15 minutes to begin to firm up.
6. To form the truffles, scrape or pour the ganache up into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm (¼in) plain nozzle. If the ganache is still too soft, it will run right out of the pastry bag, so fill the bag over a clean bowl or jug (pitcher) to catch any drips.
7. Pipe out even little blobs onto the parchment-lined baking tray, then chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until the blobs are firm.
8. At this point you will need the tempered dark chocolate. Have ready a cooling rack and another baking tray lined with baking parchment.
9. Dip each ball of ganache into the tempered dark chocolate with a dipping fork and place on the cooling rack to set. If you don’t have a dipping fork and have relatively cold hands, you can also dip the chocolates by hand, wearing latex gloves.
10. Using a clean dipping fork, dip each truffle into the tempered white chocolate. Place on the baking tray and leave for about 15 minutes, until set.
11. Sprinkle each truffle with a few tiny granules of ground espresso beans and serve immediately, or store in a container, spaced apart, in the refrigerator. Remove 30 minutes before serving, as chocolate should be eaten at room temperature.

Recipe taken from The Home-Made Sweet Shop by Claire Ptak. Photography by Nicki Dowey. Published by Anness Publishing Ltd.