Description
Delight in these festive Christmas Fruit Mince Truffles featuring rich dark chocolate blended with spiced fruit mince and coated in velvety milk and white chocolate. Perfectly creamy, indulgent, and beautifully decorated with red glacé cherries, these truffles make a charming holiday treat or gift.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Mince Truffles
- 125 ml heavy whipping cream (½ cup)
- 200 g dark cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup fruit mince (homemade or store bought)
Coating and Decoration
- 180 g milk cooking chocolate
- 100 g white cooking chocolate
- 9 red glacé/candied cherries, halved
Instructions
- Prepare the dish: Line a small, flat dish (approximately 13 x 18 cm) with non-stick baking paper to make removal easier. Also, line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and set aside for the coated truffles.
- Heat the cream: Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat it over low heat until it just reaches below boiling point, taking care not to let it boil.
- Melt the chocolate: Remove the saucepan from heat and add the finely chopped dark chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add cinnamon and fruit mince: Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the ground cinnamon and fruit mince until evenly combined.
- Chill the mixture: Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and refrigerate for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll into balls.
- Shape the truffles: Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out small balls of the chilled mixture. If too firm, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes and press to compact while rolling. Place each ball on the prepared baking tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm.
- Melt the coating chocolates: Break the milk chocolate into even-sized pieces and place in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, avoiding any water contact with the chocolate. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from heat and let residual heat finish melting. Repeat this process with the white chocolate. Alternatively, melt each chocolate in the microwave carefully.
- Cool the chocolate: Allow both melted chocolates to cool for about 15 minutes. The chocolate should be warm but not hot to prevent softening the truffles.
- Coat the truffles: Remove truffles from the fridge. Dip each chilled truffle individually into the melted milk chocolate using two small forks, coating completely. Lift out and smooth off excess chocolate on the bowl edge, then return to the lined tray.
- Reheat coating if needed: If the milk chocolate becomes too firm to dip smoothly, gently reheat before continuing. On warm days, chill truffles between batches to keep the chocolate firm.
- Decorate the truffles: Once coated, if the chocolate is firm, add about ½ teaspoon of white chocolate to the top of each truffle and place half a red glacé cherry on top for decoration.
- Set and store: Place the coated and decorated truffles in the fridge to fully set. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, separating layers with non-stick baking paper.
Notes
- Use full-fat heavy whipping cream with at least 35% fat content for best creamy texture and flavor.
- Choose dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids to balance the sweetness of fruit mince and enhance richness.
- Store-bought fruit mince should be vegetarian and flavorful; homemade fruit mince works wonderfully for this recipe.
- Firmly scrunch baking paper before lining the dish for easier removal of the truffle mixture.
- Leftover coating chocolate can be mixed with nuts or shaped with sprinkles to create additional sweet treats.
- Truffles can be frozen in airtight containers for up to three months; chocolate may bloom but taste will remain delicious.
- Handle the melted chocolate gently to avoid seizing by ensuring no water contacts the chocolate during melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 truffle
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
