Hazelnut truffles

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas mark 3. Chop the hazelnuts, place them on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes (if the hazelnuts have skin on them, roast them for 25 minutes). Set aside to cool.

Step 2

Chop the chocolate finely and place in a bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it boils. Immediately pour the hot cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with the chocolate.

Step 3

With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolate together until the chocolate is completely melted (if the chocolate doesn't melt completely, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir for a few minutes just until it melts).

Step 4

Whisk in the hazelnut liqueur, coffee and vanilla. Cover and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour until fairly firm but still pliable enough to scoop.

Step 5

With 2 teaspoons or a 3cm ice cream scoop, make dollops of chocolate mixture on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres.

Step 6

Roll the chocolate in the chopped hazelnuts and chill again. Truffles are best when they're allowed to set overnight in the refrigerator.

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