Once again, Billington’s has partnered with leading artisan chocolatier, Paul A Young, to create a super-sweet, ultra-indulgent and as always, innovative, treat for Easter. The limited edition Billington’s Triple Sweet Truffles, available from Paul A Young’s London stores, are the perfect chocolate indulgence for the weekend – whether boxed or as a single, luxurious taste.
Paul A Young created the truffles using “three of Billington’s iconic sugars; molasses, dark muscovado and light muscovado. I’ve paired them with three single estate and origin chocolates to create a complex, intoxicating flavour of caramel, molasses and cocoa beans.”
To create the sweet chocolate truffles yourself, here’s the recipe;
Ingredients:
For the ganache
250ml Water
75g Billington’s Unrefined Light Muscovado
125g Billington’s Molasses
500g Michel Cluizel 50% Madagascan milk chocolate or milk chocolate of 40% and above cocoa percentage, chopped into very small pieces
For the coating
300g 70% Cocoa solids dark chocolate – Valrhona Guanaja or other preferred dark chocolate
150g 100% Cocoa solids Madagascan dark chocolate
100g Billington’s Dark Muscovado
To roll your truffles
50g Cocoa powder
Method:
For the ganache
1. Bring the water, molasses and light muscovado to a simmer, until all the sugar has melted.
2. Pour on the chopped chocolate and whisk well until very smooth and thick.
3. Pour into a food container and allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least two hours.
To roll your truffles
1. Once your ganache is refrigerated and set, scoop out nuggets of the ganache to your required size and place on to a parchment-lined baking tray.
2. Using the cocoa powder to dust your finger, so the ganache doesn’t stick, roll the ganache into even balls. Place back onto the sheet and pop back into the fridge for half an hour.
For the coating
1. Chop both the chocolates into small pieces and mix together in a glass or metal mixing bowl.
2. Place on a pan of very hot, but not boiling, water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Melt for at least an hour, mixing occasionally. This will give you a good and even melt on the chocolate and the finished result will be smooth and silky.
Tempering your chocolate
Be brave and work swiftly. If it goes wrong, lumpy or sets too quickly, you can re-melt your chocolate and start again, so nothing is wasted. Practice makes perfect.
1. Melt the chocolate for at least an hour, using the same method detailed above. The chocolate should be at 55°C – you can check this with a digital thermometer. Take the chocolate off the heat and wipe the bottom of the bowl to remove any water.
2. Pour the chocolate onto a marble or glass slab, leaving a small amount in the bowl (about a quarter).
3. Spread the chocolate across the slab with the pallet knife then scrape back into the middle of the slab, this can be a bit tricky at first but keep going as it won’t take long to master. Repeat this process until the chocolate on the slab has cooled to 27°C (the temperature chocolate begins to set /crystalize).
4. Once at this stage, quickly scrape the chocolate back into the bowl with the warm remaining chocolate and mix very well. The temperature of the chocolate should now be at 31°C/32°C, which is the working temperature, meaning you can coat, mould and create anything from the chocolate.
5. Dip the end of the pallet knife into the chocolate and allow it to set. If it is smooth and shiny, then you have tempered chocolate.
Finishing your truffles
1. Using your fingers, dipped in the tempered chocolate, roll the truffle to put a thin layer of chocolate around the ganache.
2. Once they are set, repeat the process and before the chocolate sets sprinkle the dark muscovado on top of the truffle. They will set quickly, within a couple of minutes, and then they are ready for you to indulge.
Storing Suggestion
Keep your truffles in a cool place, but not the fridge. They will last seven days. Finish your Easter gift by placing in cellophane bags with ribbons, or in half an Easter egg, or use the truffles to decorate the top of your traditional Simnel cake, made with generous quantities of Billington’s unrefined sugar.