Christmas Truffles

I never quite feel in the festive spirit until I have done some Christmas baking. Not having the family to my place this year has meant there has not been that urgency. Instead, I am focussing on making yummy goodies to give as gifts. With Christmas just a week away now time is of the essence. I thought I would start with some favourite truffles that I have been making for about 20 years. I have never made these using a recipe but this year, to enable efficient communication I decided I would measurse the ingredients as I go - please remember though you don't have to be exact at all!

This receipe is a great one to use up chocolate cake left overs. In the past week I have made two birthday cakes for children - you know those cakes where you make a massive slab, carve it up and shape it and then have lots of letf over bits. Well, all these bit go in a container in the freezer and get thawed out to make these delicious truffles.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of chocolate cake crumbs  (you could include fruit cake or Christmas pudding in that if you wished). These can be finely crumbled by hand but the food processor is a lot more efficient. 
• 500 grams mixed fruit - I measure this by using approximately half of a kilo bag - that's what I mean about not having to be too exact in your measurements. 
• 400 grams chocolate (whatever type you like eating)
• whiskey or rum (optional)
• 400 grams dark chocolate (again, one you like eating)
• 150 grams white chocolate
• red and green gummy sweets cut into small pieces

Method:

1. Mix crumbs, fruit, first measure of melted chocolate and whisky or rum if you are using it. I find it's easier to mix all this with with your hands. If you don't want to get too messy you can use some of the gloves used for food serving. The mixture is less likely to stick to these.
2. Roll into balls - I keep them quite small - remember you will be coating them in another layer of dark chocolate and then white chocolate to resemble the sauce. 
3. Place in freezer or fridge to firm up. The balls are a lot easier to coat in chocolate when they are cold.
4. Melt dark chocolate. 
5. Dip balls in chocolate to coat. Place on baking paper and chill again. 
6. Melt white chocolate and drip over the top so the truffles look like a Christmas pudding covered in sauce. 
7. Arrange red and green pieces on top to resemble holly. 
8. These truffles are beautiful packed in small boxes to give as Christmas presents.