Xmas Baking#3: Basil and Cinnamon Dark Chocolate truffles

I love making chocolate truffles. They sound pretty hard and are really tasty, but are about the easiest thing to make. Especially if you're not super anal about making cute little round balls, but opt for what I think is a more modern (and easier) presentation - cubes. I flavoured these by infusing the cream with cinnamon and basil, but your options are really limitless - Earl Grey tea, orange, lemon, chai spice, vanilla bean, chili powder, ginger..... see what I mean about impressive?

Seriously, these will take you mere minutes to make (if you don't count the slow simmering of the cream).

• 250ml (8 oz) whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1/2 (sort of packed) cup bruised fresh basil leaves
• 2 x 2 inch pieces thick cinnamon bark (look in a South Asian grocer for this)
• 800 grams chopped dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Simmer the cream and water together with the basil and cinnamon covered, over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon bark. Use an immersion blender to roughly chop the basil into the cream using 2 or 3 short bursts. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. Strain the basil bits out of the cream and use two large spoons, nested together, to squeeze all the liquid out of the basil leaves back into the cream. Discard the basil leaves.

Transfer the cream to the top of a double boiler and add the chocolate. Melt the chocolate and cream together, stirring occasionally, over boiling water. Meanwhile, line an large 4" by 8 " loaf pan with cling wrap.

When chocolate and cream are fully melted, pour the mixture into the lined pan, taking care that the plastic doesn't flop over into the hot chocolate. The best way to do this is to tape the edges of the plastic to the sides of the pan. The chocolate should cover the bottom of the pan to a depth of about 1 1/2 centimetres.

Refrigerate the pan for an hour.

Mix granulated sugar and powdered cinnamon together in a shallow bowl and set aside. Using a knife dipped in hot water and dried, cut the chocolate into small cubes about 1 to 1 1/2 centimetres. You'll have to reheat and re dry the knife every 2 or 3 cuts. Roll each cube in the cinnamon sugar.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Makes about 70 small cubes.

Comments

[Kalyn]

The photo is great. I'd like one right now.

[Sophie]

One for me please !

[abby]

these sound wonderful, i think i'd like quite a few! maybe i should make some...

[McAuliflower]

I feel silly for being so enthralled with the idea of square truffles!

I want to know how these tasted, esp given the interesting flavor pairing. Using cinnamon basil would be fun too.

[lydia]

Truffle cubes -- I love it! I never think of basil in anything sweet. Thanks for the recipe.

[Meeta]

Nice combination! Never really thought one could combine basil in truffles. Brilliant idea. The photos are great too!

[Sandi]

Would basil, cinnamon and chili powder be a good combo?

And if so, how much chili powder should I add?

(i heard chili makes chocolate extra chocolatey)

[Hayden]

Can you recommend a place in Edmonton to get the cinnamon bark?

[lyn]

Sandi, I think I'd do the chili on its own without the basil and cinnamon. How much you use would depend on how srtong your chili powder is. I'd try between 1/2 and one teaspoon.

Hayden - I get great thick cinamon bark at one of the Indian groceries on 34th. I don't know the name of it, but it's in a little stip mall kind of across and west a bit from the Toyota dealership.

[Andrew K.]

These went over EXTREMELY WELL for Christmas. As a former New Mexican, I will definetly be trying the chile powder truffles shortly. Thanks much for the recipe!!!