White Chocolate and Strawberry Truffles

Typical Valentine’s chocolates can be a mundane present that a boyfriend buys on his lunch break at work – at a loss as to what else to get for his girlfriend – easily obtainable whilst in the M&S sandwich queue.

These pretty droplets of yumness require a similar amount of time to prepare (minus the cooling time) as a lunch break but are so much more fanciful.

Truffle filling:

200g white chocolate

85g unsalted butter

3 and a half tbsp double cream

Pinch of salt

3 tsp freeze-dried strawberries (for instance, Cake Professional Dried Strawberries, available from Waitrose)

Truffle coating:

400g white chocolate

2 tsp freeze-dried strawberries

A few cocktail sticks

Method:

1. Fill a saucepan with 3 inches of water and place on a medium heat. In a glass bowl, add the chocolate, cream, butter and salt. Place the glass bowl on top of the saucepan, being careful that it doesn’t touch the water, and heat the mixture gently whilst stirring, until the chocolate melts and the mixture become smooth and glossy.
2. Take the bowl out of the saucepan and off the heat. Add the 3 tsp of dried strawberries and mix well. Cover the bowl with cling-film and refrigerate for about two hours, until the mixture is firm enough to scoop.
3. Use a teaspoon to scoop little balls that measure 2cm – about the size of a Brussels sprout. Lay the little globules on greaseproof paper and put back in the fridge for one hour. This step is crucial as you want the truffles to be really cool for dipping into the chocolate later.
4. Melt the remaining 400g of chocolate, either over a saucepan of water on the hob as before, or in the microwave for about 1 and a half minutes. Take the truffles out of the fridge and using a cocktail stick, carefully pick up one-by-one and dip into the chocolate, smothering it completely.
5. Lay the enveloped balls on to greaseproof paper and quickly dust with the remaining dried strawberries, before the coating sets. Leave the truffles at room temperature for two hours and package in cellophane bags, tied with red ribbon or in a cardboard box lined with tissue paper.