Pecan and Prosecco Truffles
Shaped like yule logs and full of the decadent flavours of pecan and Prosecco, Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh's truffle recipe makes an edible Christmas gift to impress.
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Introduction
These were made for the Christmas menu at Ottolenghi, hence their shape as little Yule logs, but you can just roll them into balls, if you prefer. Coating the truffles in a thin layer of chocolate is messy, we know, but it’s worth it for the satisfaction of biting into the thin shell to reveal the rich, smooth truffle underneath.
Ingredients
| 45g | pecan halves |
| 55g | milk chocolate blitzed in a food processor until fine |
| 170g | dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), blitzed in a food processor until fine |
| 80g | dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted, for coating |
| 50ml | double cream |
| 30g | unsalted butter |
| 50ml | Prosecco |
| 1 ½ tsp | brandy |
| 30g | Dutch-processed cocoa powder, for dusting |
Essential kit
You will need: a food processor. A piping bag with a 1cm wide nozzle is needed if you want to make these into log shapes.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4.
Spread the pecans out on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside for 5 minutes, then chop into very small (roughly 2mm) pieces. Set aside.
Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Put the cream and butter into a small saucepan and place over a medium-high heat. As soon as they come to the boil, pour the cream and butter over the chocolate. Leave for a minute, then stir gently to melt. If there is any solid chocolate remaining, place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water to help things along. Add the Prosecco, brandy and pecans and fold gently to combine until a smooth ganache is formed. Set aside for the mix to come to room temperature so that it is firm enough to pipe. It takes a long time to set at room temperature, but this is essential for the perfectly smooth and even texture needed. Give it a gentle stir from time to time so that it is malleable enough to pipe. Don’t be tempted to speed up the cooling process in the fridge, as this will result in an uneven and lumpy set.
Transfer the mix to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm wide plain nozzle and pipe seven 30cm long logs on to a large parchment-lined baking tray. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set, then cut the logs into five smaller logs, each about 6cm long: using a warm, dry knife will help you cut them cleanly.
Have the extra melted chocolate in one bowl at the ready and the cocoa powder in a separate shallow bowl or tray alongside. Dip one log at a time into the chocolate to lightly coat, then roll it in the palm of your hand to remove the excess and ensure that the chocolate coating is nice and thin and sets evenly. Drop the truffle into the cocoa powder and roll gently to lightly coat. You’ll need to work fast here, as the chocolate will set quickly. Get someone to help, if you can, so that one person is on the melted chocolate and the other is on the cocoa dusting; this means you won’t have to keep washing your hands between coating and rolling. Once set, after about 30 minutes, lightly shake to remove any excess cocoa, and serve.
The truffles will keep for up to 10 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
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