Method

Make chocolate shavings using a sharp knife, and place in a saucepan.

Heat 200 ml of the cream in a separate small saucepan over a medium heat until it begins to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Add the Armagnac, but don’t stir the mixture – leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Combine the remaining cream and the butter. Speed up the process if you like by placing it in the microwave for an instant or two on the defrost setting.

Now stir the chocolate mixture until smooth (the chocolate should now have melted as a result of the hot cream – this is why your chocolate needs be finely shaved to begin with).

Gently whisk the butter mixture into the chocolate mixture until voluptuously creamy. Allow to cool, then cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. The truffle mixture should be firm enough to mould into balls the following day – if not, leave it in the refrigerator a little longer.

Remove the mixture from the refrigerator the next day, and sprinkle enough cocoa powder on a plate to generously cover the bottom. Dust your hands with cocoa powder before rolling each truffle.

Mould the truffle mixture, using your hands, into bite-size balls. The nice thing about these is that they don’t have to be perfectly round. As soon as the ball has been shaped, roll in more cocoa powder until it is well coated, and set aside. Place the truffles in small paper cookie cups of about 30 mm in diameter, or on parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate until firm – about 2 hours.

Tip

Truffles can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks in an airtight container, or even frozen for a couple of months. If frozen, allow to thaw naturally before serving.