Festive Tea Infused Chocolate Truffles

Not only are tea infused chocolate truffles one of the easiest things to make, they are also incredibly versatile, which means you can try something new on a regular basis. Naturally we like to use tea as an ingredient here, though you could try other flavours or nuts, for example. You can grind it into a powder and add to the recipe, or infuse the cream component with your favourite tea. In the spirit of the season, we recommend a white chocolate truffle infused with our Velvet Salted Caramel or Midnight Chocolate Mint festive flavoured black teas.

For this recipe, we chose our Midnight Chocolate Mint black tea purely on the basis that we could then also dust the truffles with a little candy cane for a little crunch. Find out how below, with thanks to the Chocolatier Aneesh Popat for the recipe (be sure to check out our collaborative Festive Tea and Chocolate Pairing Guide here).

Ingredients:

• 450g white chocolate, chopped very finely and divided into two portions of 225g 
• 200ml double cream  
• 1 tablespoon butter (15g)  
• 20g Midnight Chocolate Mint Tea (or other)  
• 2 candy canes, crushed to crumbs  

Method:

1. In a small, heavy based saucepan, add cream and tea and stir constantly over a medium to high heat until bubbles begin to appear. 
2. Remove from heat immediately (otherwise the cream might split) and briskly stir in the butter until melted and incorporated.
3. Cover tightly with cling film or saucepan lid and set aside for 25 minutes.  
4. You will notice that the tea will swell and absorb the cream so when you strain the cream and tea, measure 110ml and, if you have any left over, save for pouring on xmas puds. 
5. Pour the cream over the white chocolate in a glass bowl and stir until all is melted and incorporated – if the cream is too cool to melt the chocolate, place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until melted. Be vigilant here though and keep the heat low as white chocolate can ‘cook’ or split easily. If you’re using a microwave, do so in short bursts of five seconds.
6. Cover and place in the fridge for two hours until firm.  
7. Remove from fridge and shape into 1″ balls. Place on wax paper and pop into the freezer for 30 minutes. 
8. Heat the remaining 225g of white chocolate over gently simmering water in a small bowl stirring regularly until completely melted, or again in the microwave in very short bursts.
9. Dip truffles into melted chocolate and place onto wax paper. Sprinkle with festive things like edible gold leaf or crushed candy canes. Allow to set in cool place, or in the fridge for a couple of hours.