DIY Juniper Berry Chocolate Truffles For Christmas Gifting

Want to gift chocolate truffles to your loved ones for Christmas? Why not try fresh seasonal flavors and surprise them? Try this DIY recipe for juniper berry chocolate truffles which can earn you many praises!

Christmas is the best time to experiment with seasonal flavors which are festive and versatile, be it pine, juniper, thyme or lemon balm. Adding herbs to chocolate truffles is a creative way to infuse more depth and complex flavors into the sweet confection. Herbs or berries can complement the richness of chocolate, adding aroma and a hint of freshness to the truffles.

It's important to remember that chocolate truffles can be denser than most candies or chocolate desserts. The higher the cocoa content, the richer and denser the truffle will be. Dark chocolate truffles usually tend to have a higher cocoa content. Moreover, The amount of heavy cream and butter used in the ganache or the central filling of the truffle affects its richness and heaviness.

Adding yoghurt to fruit purees is typically considered to be hacks to tone down the richness of truffles; another way to do it would be to infuse fresh seasonal flavours that bring a strong herbaceous profile to the truffles.

Truffles For Gifting

Chocolate truffles usually have a long shelf life. Homemade truffles can typically be stored for a few weeks to a month. However, truffles with perishable fillings, such as fresh cream or fruit, may have a shorter shelf life. So it’s ideal to use store-bought canned cream for making truffles.

They make excellent Christmas gifts because truffles represent luxury and indulgence and a box of assorted truffles can feature many kinds of flavors, especially some seasonal picks.

Flavors like juniper can offer some earthy, woody notes while options like lemon bring forth some bright and citrusy undertones. Mint, basil, and lavender are good options for winter desserts. By adding herbs and berries, chocolatiers can enhance and diversify the taste profile of the truffles, creating a more sophisticated flavor profile. Herb or fruit-infused chocolate truffles are quite popular; they're usually flavored with rosemary, basil, thyme, and citrus.

When used for cooking juniper berries should be used sparingly, as their flavor can be quite potent. It’s best to chop these berries finely or crush them thoroughly. For truffles, the berries need to be mixed in with the cream so big, lumpy pieces are best avoided.

If you want a fruity tone to your truffles but don't want to go the usual way with raspberries or oranges, why not consider juniper berries? Often used as a spice and as the primary flavor in gin, juniper berries have a strong pine-like flavor. The resinous taste and the hint of citrus bring a vibrant, zesty element to chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
• A pinch of sea salt
• Cocoa powder, for coating

Method:

• Heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just starts to simmer.
• Add the crushed juniper berries to the cream, then remove the saucepan from heat. Let it steep for about 15-20 minutes to infuse the cream with the juniper flavor.
• After steeping, strain the cream to remove the juniper berries. Prep the chopped dark chocolate by transferring it into a heatproof bowl.
• In a separate saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over low heat. Once melted, pour the juniper-infused cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted
• Pour the juniper-infused chocolate mixture into the bowl with the melted butter and cream. Stir well
• Add a pinch of sea salt and cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 3-4 hours
• Use a spoon or a melon baller to scoop out small portions and roll them into bite-sized balls.
• Roll each truffle in cocoa powder until evenly coated. This prevents the truffles from sticking to each other.
• Place the coated truffles back in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set.