Simple and thoroughly decadent, these wonderful French-style truffles are a chocoholic’s dream come true.

The ultimate bittersweet nibble, these truffles work well as a final flourish to a dinner party with a glass of cognac, port or even as a sneaky chocolate treat to be had when nobody’s looking.

I first had these truffles many years ago when I moved to Cape Town. My dear friend Eloise made them for me once as a thank you gift for inviting her family to dinner one evening. As it was the first time I had met her she was blissfully unaware that I’m lactose intolerant so I just passed the thoughtful gift on to my partner (who is a chocolate-fiend of note) and didn’t think about them until the next day.

As it turned out, the truffles weren’t to my partner’s taste at all as they weren’t as sweet as he would have liked. More surprisingly, however, they turned out to be right up my street! I’m not normally a ‘sweet’ person, but every now and again there are exceptions to the rule and these are most certainly that – exceptional!

Bitter, sweet and with a hint of whisky; these little chocolate gems are most definitely worth the consequences of lactose intolerance and that’s not something I say lightly.

Eloise’s Whisky Truffles

• 75g dark chocolate (70% cocoa chocolate)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 15g softened butter
• 1 tsp. whisky (or rum/brandy if you prefer)
• 1 tsp. single cream
• Cocoa powder for dusting

Method:

1. Place a small bowl over some boiling water in a small saucepan. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in the bowl – stir until the chocolate has melted
2. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly
3. Add the egg yolk and beat quickly, then add the softened butter, whisky and cream. Continue stirring – the mixture will turn glossy
4. Cover the bowl and store in the freezer until the mixture hardens
5. Using teaspoons, scoop out bite-sized chunks and roll them in cocoa powder
6. Store in the fridge or in a cool area