Description
These Christmas Fruit Mince Truffles are rich and festive treats combining dark chocolate, creamy texture, and flavorful fruit mince. Coated in milk and white chocolate with a cherry on top, they are perfect for holiday celebrations or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Fruit Mince Truffles:
- 125 ml (½ cup) heavy whipping/thickened cream
- 200 g (7 oz) dark cooking chocolate (70 % cocoa solids), finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup fruit mince (homemade or store bought)
For the Coating and Decoration:
- 180 g (6 oz) milk cooking chocolate
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) white cooking chocolate
- 9 red glacé/candied cherries, halved
Instructions
- Prepare the dish: Line a small, flat dish (about 13 x 18 cm or 7 x 5 inches) with non-stick baking paper. Also, line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and set aside.
- Heat the cream: Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat it over low heat until just below boiling point.
- Melt the chocolate: Turn off the heat, add the dark cooking chocolate to the hot cream and stir continuously until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add cinnamon and fruit mince: Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the ground cinnamon and fruit mince until evenly combined.
- Chill the mixture: Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and refrigerate for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until firm enough to roll into balls.
- Form truffle balls: Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the chilled mixture into small balls. If too firm, let it sit for 5-10 minutes before rolling. Firmly press as you roll to compact the mixture. Place balls on the prepared baking tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Melt the coating chocolates: Break the milk chocolate into pieces, place in a bowl over barely simmering water (double boiler), stirring occasionally until nearly melted. Remove from heat and let residual warmth finish melting. Repeat this melting method with the white chocolate. Alternatively, melt both chocolates in the microwave.
- Cool coating chocolate: Allow the melted chocolates to cool for about 15 minutes so they are warm but not hot, to prevent softening the truffles when dipping.
- Coat the truffles: Remove truffles from the fridge. Dip each ball one at a time into the melted milk chocolate, using two small forks to turn and coat fully. Lift and smooth off excess chocolate on the edge of the bowl, then return to lined tray. Reheat chocolate slightly if it firms before all truffles are coated.
- Decorate and set: If chocolate firms on the truffles before decoration, chill briefly. Add about ½ teaspoon white chocolate to the top of each truffle and press half a glacé cherry on top. Place all coated truffles in the fridge to set.
- Storage: Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, separating layers with non-stick paper. They can also be frozen for up to three months though chocolate may bloom.
Notes
- Use full-fat heavy whipping cream (minimum 35% fat) for best creaminess and flavor.
- Choose dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids to complement the fruit mince and balance sweetness.
- Fruit mince is ideally homemade, but store bought vegetarian mince is fine.
- Firmly scrunch baking paper before lining the dish to help it fit better; a bowl can be used but takes longer to chill.
- Leftover coating chocolate can be mixed with nuts and shaped into small mounds or used to make chocolate freckles with sprinkles.
- Truffles firm best if chilled well before coating and between steps on warm days.
- Freezing is possible for up to three months but expect some chocolate bloom which does not affect taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 truffle
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
