In part one of this week's Three Course Meal, we gave you a look at Stephen Smith, chocolatier and owner of nib chocolate. In part two, we asked Smith to complete our thoughts for us. In today's final installment he shares a recipe for Russian Caravan Truffles.
Remember, crafting chocolates is a science, so this is not a good recipe to mess with in terms of temperatures or ingredients unless you are already a master chocolatier. Also, the better ingredients you use, the better the final product you will get.
Don't fret, though. Smith assures me that even beginners can make these truffles successfully!
Russian Caravan Truffle
250 g chocolate (61-72 percent) 200 g heavy cream 10 g butter (unsalted)(softened) 10 g Russian Caravan Tea
1. Put chocolate in heatproof bowl.
2. Heat cream on the stove top just to a boil.
3. Add tea to the cream and steep for 5 minutes.
4. Strain the cream and reweigh, adding additional cream to bring the weight to 200 g.
5. Reheat the cream to a boil.
6. Pour hot liquid over the chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds and then stir to combine.
7. Add butter.
8. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to set.
9. Once set, scoop out to desired size and roll into balls.
10. Dip in tempered chocolate or cocoa powder.