Tiramisu Truffles

I had some marscapone left over from the pasta sauce and I love trying to concoct ways to use up leftover ingredients.

The first thing that came to mind when I thought of mascarpone was tiramisu, but I’m not a huge tiramisu fan (the only two times I’ve enjoyed tiramisu was once in Venice and once at Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant – and that’s after a lifetime of trying it in Italian restaurants).

Plus, I didn’t want a big dessert that would take up room in the fridge. I wanted something small that we could nibble on.

I also didn’t want to have to bake anything, as the weather was just too hot. 

Tiramisu truffles seemed like the perfect idea, especially as we had some good quality cocoa in the cupboard.

I used the mascarpone in place of the traditional heavy cream and although I wasn’t sure how it would compare all I could say is that it was delicious.

Seriously, these truffles taste just like tiramisu, except that they are cute, small and would probably make a great gift.

And who wants to give a big dish of tiramisu as a gift?

First, take your almond sponge and crumble into pieces in a small bowl.

Pour the brewed coffee over the crumbled sponge and leave to soak for five to ten minutes.

Melt the butter in a and once melted, add the mascarpone cheese. Continue to stir over the heat until the mascarpone has melted and is well-mixed with the butter.

At the same time, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small pan of water.

Remove both mixtures from the heat and leave to cool for a couple of minutes before combining together in one bowl and stirring well with a wooden spoon.

To the chocolate and mascarpone mixture, add the coffee sponge and carefully combine.

Place the truffle mixture into the fridge and chill for at least two hours, or until it is completely set and no longer soft or melted. You should then easily be able to scoop small amounts of the mixture out of the bowl with an ice cream scoop or spoon and roll them into a perfect ball using both your hands. Try not to hold them for too long or they’ll start to melt.

Roll the little truffle balls onto a plate covered with cocoa and set to one side.

Tiramisu Truffles

Recipe by Julia

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Chilling Time

2

Hours

Ingredients

• 1 cup crumbled almond sponge cake

• 2 tbsp brewed coffee

• 25g (1 1/2 tbsp) butter

• 1 cup milk chocolate pieces

• 1/2 cup mascarpone

• 4 heaped tbsp cocoa powder

Directions

• Take the crumbled almond sponge in a small bowl and pour over the brewed coffee. Leave to soak while you prepare the mascarpone and chocolate.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Once melted, add the mascarpone and continue to heat, stirring regularly, until the mascarpone has melted and is fully combined with the butter to create a smooth, creamy consistency.
• At the same time, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water and melt. Do not let the bowl touch the water.
• Remove both the mascarpone and chocolate from the heat and leave to cool for several minutes.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine both liquid mixtures and stir well.
• Tip in the coffee sponge and mix carefully with a spoon or spatula. Try and aim for even distribution throughout the mixture of the sponge, so that each truffle contains some.
• Chill the truffle mixture for around two hours, or until it has solidified enough to be scooped with an ice cream scoop or spoon.
• Take small amounts of the mixture and roll them quickly between your hands to create a ball shape.
  
• Scatter the cocoa powder on a plate and, in turn, place each truffle in the cocoa and roll until it is fully covered. Repeat with each truffle until all of the mixture has been used.

Notes

• Best kept refrigerated and then removed around ten to fifteen minutes before you want to eat them, particularly in warm weather.