Consolation

Summer might as well be over. Sort of settled back in Auckland and looking forward to being in our own place soon. Meantime it's Valentine's Day so truffles for my sweetie ... I wasn't sure how this would work, cos I couldn't fnd a recipe book, but the family says mmmmm, so here we are:

Hazelnut Truffles
makes about 12 - 15

35g whole hazelnuts
200g dark chocolate (70%. I use NZ brands generally)
40g butter
1T Frangelico
2tsp honey (I used dark bush honey)

Toast the nuts and rub the skins off between your palms. Melt 3/4 of the chocolate (gently, gently) and stir in the butter. When it is smooth, stir in the liqueur and honey. Cool the mixture until firm. Cover a flat metal or plastic sheet with baking paper.

Gloved hands are easiest for rolling and dipping truffles. Latex works if you aren't allergic; wash your gloved hands to get any powder or chemicals off the surface. Take a spoonful of mixture (size is up to you) and form it into an oval flattened pattie on one palm. Put a whole hazelnut and fold the mixture to enclose, then roll between your hands to a smooth shape (now you see why the gloves are so good.) Repeat til all used, dropping each onto the baking paper as it is done. Chill.

Use a large knife to chop the remaining hazelnuts into crumbs. (You'd probably struggle to do such a small quantity mechanically, but it only takes a few minutes.) Rinse and dry your gloves or use fresh ones. Roll truffles in the nuts - there'll be enough for about half the truffles. Put these onto a fresh sheet of baking paper.

Melt the remaining chocolate. Definitely wear gloves for this bit. These instructions for right-handers. Put a spoonful of melted chocolate in the palm of your left hand. Quickly roll a truffle in it with the fingertips of your right hand, and transfer to baking paper. When all are done, chill further if needed to set the chocolate and then repeat hand-dipping to give a stronger outer coating. The purpose of a coating on a truffle is to protect it - then you can have the inner mixture softer and it will melt, as the saying goes, in your mouth not your hands.

Hope Squirrel likes them ...