Since the dawn of time the humble cocoa bean has been used for money, offered as food to the gods, and even hailed as a wonder-drug and aphrodisiac in certain circles.
For most of us, however, it is a chance to indulge in something delightfully sweet and exciting to the taste buds while curled up after a busy day. Not all chocolate is sweet and it would appear that the hidden health benefits may only apply to the dark varieties considered bitter by some.
Well, worry not, I thought... that is absolutely fine by me because I love it!
Imagine my delight when Creighton’s Chocolaterie, owned by Andrea Huntington, invited me along to experience one of its truffle-making workshops. Choccy-heaven indeed! I joined eight others on the workshop, all of us eager to savour the task ahead.
Chocoholics’ paradise soon unfolded as we watched Andrea melt pints of the brown-stuff for our challenge. The good news being – it was dark chocolate, Hooray! While the chocolate mountain melted in the microwave very slowly, we all got the chance to taste various types of chocolate from its original cocoa bean state to an 80 per cent plain chocolate button ready for its transformation into the works of art we buy.
It was time to put on our aprons and make our truffle mixture which was to be the centre of our creations. Mixing dark chocolate with double cream, and a splash of orange flavouring, my soft-centres were soon complete.
Some of the more daring among the group went for the alcoholic option, like rum and Pimms, but I’m not particularly fond so I stayed well clear.
We waited for our truffle mixture to set. To pass the time, more mouthfuls of white, milk and plain chocolate followed sourced from Venezuela, Ghana, and Trinidad. Simply scrummy!
Aromas were beginning to hit a high in the kitchen as the surprisingly calming fragrance of plain chocolate swirled in the air. Taste-buds whetted, we then watched Andrea ‘temper’ the liquid chocolate she had melted.
This involved emptying the entire contents of the jug onto a marble worktop and then with a special spatula she scooped and swirled the chocolate around to make sure the heat was dispelled. I am sure we were all stood there open-mouthed!
For those with a serious chocolate addiction, I imagined this could have been an ‘all too much’ moment and those affected would have either dived into the chocolate pool or fled from the room to fight their cravings!
Back in the jug, the chocolate was shared between us ready to coat our set truffle mixture.
Now it was our chance to dive in! Making truffles into perfectly round balls is a messy business – but someone’s got to do it.
Hands in, and before I knew it chocolate hand cream took on a whole new meaning as I attempted to make perfect spheres. It was easier said than done, but eventually I had 30 pieces of truffle to dip in yet more melted chocolate for the final, glossy finish – Oh, and incredibly sticky hands.
Reaching momentous chocolate overload by now, I resisted the temptation to lick my palms and headed for the sink to clean up. I returned to my workstation and proceeded to dip my truffles into the dark chocolate. This bit was surprisingly easy and soon enough, 30 little treasurers, sprinkled with white chocolate stars and a few cherries for good measure, were lined up on my tray. I placed them in bags and, voila!, tasty treats for my family and friends!
If you would like to make truffles for the festive season why not visit www.creightonschocolaterie.co.uk
