Sloe Chocolate Truffles
In my post last year about sloe gin I admitted that after I strain and bottle the gin, I then throw away the sloes. Until now the recipes that I've come across for recycling sloes haven’t really worked for me.
But shortly after writing that post, as I roved out on a fine autumn morning to view the fields and take the air, I met a lady gathering rose hips (sorry, for some reason this posting is turning into a traditional English folk song). We got talking about sloe gin and she told me off (this happens quite a lot). She told me that I shouldn't waste gin-soaked sloes and that I should try eating them with chocolate. Well, I've been thinking about that for a while and eventually I tried making these truffles. It turns out that she was right to tell me off, of course.
To keep truffles smoother and lighter, I've tended to think that you have to make some kind of custard. I was in a bit of a hurry this time and so I used a decent shop-bought custard instead. The good news is that it works just fine.
This will make around 16 – 20 truffles depending on how big you want them to be.
16 or so sloes from a matured sloe gin
125 ml double cream
60 ml custard plus a little extra on standby, just in case
60 g dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa solids would be good)
30 g milk chocolate (100% cocoa butter would be nice)
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp sloe gin
cocoa powder for coating
Remove the stones from the sloes using a small, pointed knife. This isn't easy but I think it’s far better than munching on the stones.
Melt the two chocolates using the microwave or the analogue method of a bowl over hot water. Whip the cream until stiff. Cool the chocolate a little and then stir in the caster sugar, sloe gin and the custard. If the chocolate mix still seems very stiff then add a little more custard. Fold the cream into the chocolate mix.
Divide the mixture into small chunks, mould each chunk around a sloe and roll into a ball. Roll the balls in a little cocoa powder and place in the fridge to firm up for a few hours. Serve to adults - or eat them all yourself, if you're an adult.
But shortly after writing that post, as I roved out on a fine autumn morning to view the fields and take the air, I met a lady gathering rose hips (sorry, for some reason this posting is turning into a traditional English folk song). We got talking about sloe gin and she told me off (this happens quite a lot). She told me that I shouldn't waste gin-soaked sloes and that I should try eating them with chocolate. Well, I've been thinking about that for a while and eventually I tried making these truffles. It turns out that she was right to tell me off, of course.
To keep truffles smoother and lighter, I've tended to think that you have to make some kind of custard. I was in a bit of a hurry this time and so I used a decent shop-bought custard instead. The good news is that it works just fine.
This will make around 16 – 20 truffles depending on how big you want them to be.
16 or so sloes from a matured sloe gin
125 ml double cream
60 ml custard plus a little extra on standby, just in case
60 g dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa solids would be good)
30 g milk chocolate (100% cocoa butter would be nice)
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp sloe gin
cocoa powder for coating
Remove the stones from the sloes using a small, pointed knife. This isn't easy but I think it’s far better than munching on the stones.
Melt the two chocolates using the microwave or the analogue method of a bowl over hot water. Whip the cream until stiff. Cool the chocolate a little and then stir in the caster sugar, sloe gin and the custard. If the chocolate mix still seems very stiff then add a little more custard. Fold the cream into the chocolate mix.
Divide the mixture into small chunks, mould each chunk around a sloe and roll into a ball. Roll the balls in a little cocoa powder and place in the fridge to firm up for a few hours. Serve to adults - or eat them all yourself, if you're an adult.
what a divine recipe!... we have thousands of sloe's here on the bushes so i shall be creating this once the right season comes around!
ReplyDeleteLovely idea and am quite keen on the eating them all yourself option :) I did make brownies with my leftover sloes one year. The brownies were delicious, but it took me so long to destone that many sloes that I've never repeated the experiment. Maybe I should try it again with this batch of sloes. Hmm, not a bad idea for we should cocoa - except I've already made something else.
ReplyDeleteThat's a brilliant idea, Phil! I am sending a link to this to my brother and sister-in-law, the family sloe gin makers. You never know, they may repay me for the information by sending me truffles!
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you - I had actually managed to forget that I have some sloe gin maturing in the spare bedroom!! Happy Days.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I can make these truffles too (the custard in them is new to me - but I'll trust you!)
Silly me, reading this without my glasses, thought it said 'shoe gin truffles'. Mmmmmm, I thought, gotta click on that one! How I envy you all and your sloes (shoes too, probably).
ReplyDeletei have made sloe truffles by melting a good quality chocolate and putting a little in n ice cube tray, then add the destoned sloe either whole or mashed and add more chocolate on top. roll in coco powder if required. yummy and very easy recipe.
ReplyDeleteany chance that once made you might be able to freeze them, or would that be a disaster?
ReplyDelete