Chocolate Truffles - Christmas Hamper

This year I've made a few Christmas hampers to give as gifts. It isn't a cost-saving exercise, trust me - high quality ingredients don't come cheap! Instead it was to give something thoughtful and consumable that wouldn't clutter the home.

One of the items I included in the hamper was chocolate truffles. Truffles are surprisingly easy given their rich, decadent taste. Be warned though, these are quite bitter so if you don't appreciate a good dark chocolate these might not be your thing!

Ingredients:

• 300g high-quality dark chocolate - I used Green & Blacks
• 300ml double cream
• 50g unsalted butter

1. Chop the chocolate into small chunks and place in a bowl.
   
2. Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Don't boil.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until all chocolate is melted into the mix. Place into a fridge overnight.
   
4. Use a small spoon or melon baller to cut through the mix and make even sized truffles.
   
5. Roll into balls using your hands. It's important to keep your hands cold so run them under cold water frequently.
   
6. Roll into your toppings to coat them and place into small candy cases and then refrigerate in an air tight container.
   

I've been told that you can freeze these up for a month and then defrost in the fridge the day before you want them.