These Christmas Fruit Mince Truffles will be the perfect addition to your festive celebrations. We add our Homemade Fruit Mince to a rich, creamy, dark chocolate ganache, roll into truffles and finish with two more kinds of chocolate; can there ever be too much chocolate? They are the ultimate, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate indulgence, a real treat for your loved ones.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- There are no difficult techniques required to make the truffles. If you can melt chocolate, you can make this recipe. And if you have not previously melted chocolate, we will show you how simple it is. You also do not need any special equipment for this recipe.
- They are easy to make, but you do need to invest some time, most of which is spent while the chocolate is chilling.
- With the appearance of little chocolate puddings, they are the ideal sweet treat to serve at Christmas celebrations.
- This homemade confectionery is impressive. You will be delighted with the results and friends and family will thank you.
- Place some in little foil cups in a pretty box; they are a perfect homemade gift and will be greatly appreciated.
Recipe Inspiration: we have been making a variety of chocolate truffles for some time and they are very popular. Recently, a reader asked if we had a truffle specifically related to Christmas, so we set about to create one and this is the result. I hope you love it as much as we do.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Thickened cream – also known as heavy whipping cream, it contains a minimum 35% milk fat.
- Dark chocolate – the one we use contains 70% cocoa solids. Combined with the fruit mince, this will produce an ideal texture. We recommend a quality cooking chocolate.
- Ground cinnamon – adds to the festive nature of the truffles. Check that your spice is in date as spices lose flavour as they age.
- Fruit mince – we use our Homemade Fruit Mince. You can use a commercial variety if you prefer – we have successfully tested this recipe with Robertson’s.
- Milk chocolate – the truffle balls are coated with milk chocolate.
- White chocolate – we top the truffle balls with a small amount of white chocolate. For the best result, use a good quality chocolate, one that you enjoy eating and is suitable for melting.
- Red glacé cherries – we use a half red glacé/candied cherry as the finishing touch on our truffles.
Variations:
Coating – you can vary the chocolate you use to coat the truffles. You could use dark or white chocolate if you prefer. Alternatively, for ease, you could roll the truffles in chocolate sprinkles, Dutch processed cocoa powder or omit the chocolate coating and use just coconut.
Fruit mince – we use our Homemade Fruit Mince that includes brandy. If you are catering for children, or prefer it to be alcohol-free, we offer an alternative. If you prefer, you could use a commercial variety. Check that the flavour suits you. You could add some finely grated orange zest or warming spices if you wish.
How To Make Fruit Mince Truffles:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Warm the cream:
Add the cream to a small saucepan. Over low heat, heat the cream until just below boiling point. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
2 – Add your flavourings:
Add in your fruit mince and ground cinnamon and stir well.
3 – Chill the mixture:
Pour the mixture into a prepared dish. Transfer to the fridge to chill. This will take about 1/12-2 hours.
4 – Scoop out the mixture:
Working with a small ice cream scoop, scoop into small balls.
5 – Roll into balls:
Place each ball on the prepared tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
Melt the chocolates for coating the truffles and set them aside to cool.
6 – Decorate the truffles:
Remove the truffles from the fridge. Working one at a time, dip each ball in the melted chocolate, and when completely coated, return them to the lined tray.
Top with a little white chocolate and place half a cherry on top. When they are all coated, place the tray in the fridge to set.
Hint: it is important that the melted chocolate is allowed to cool before attempting to coat the chocolate balls. If the chocolate is still warm, it may slightly melt the truffle ball.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Ideally, keep them in one layer but, if necessary, separate the layers with non-stick baking paper.
As they are made with cream, they must be stored in the fridge. Remove them from the fridge about 10 minutes before serving to allow them to soften a little.
If it is difficult to roll, leave it at room temperature for a short time and try again. If it gets too soft as you are rolling it into balls, return it to the fridge for a short time.
The truffle balls are sometimes rolled in cocoa, and they resemble the edible fungi which grow underground.
Top Tip:
For the best result, use good quality ingredients. Choose good quality cooking chocolate. Also, do not use low-fat cream – this is a luxurious treat and not the time to try and cut the fat content.
When melting chocolate, moisture is the enemy. Care must be taken that not a drop of moisture gets in as it can cause the chocolate to seize. It will transform from a smooth, flowing mixture to one which is thick and grainy and not suitable for this recipe. I also recommend that you stir the chocolate with a metal spatula or spoon as wooden spoons can retain moisture.
Serving Suggestions:
There are many occasions during the festive season when the Christmas Fruit Mince Truffles will be ideal. I have some suggestions below.
- Serve them with coffee after dinner; it is the perfect way to end a special meal.
- They are perfect for any party or gathering you may be having for Christmas.
- If you are having a dessert bar, you may like to include our Mini Meringues with Berries and Cream and White Christmas Slice.
- These homemade truffles are the ultimate gift for the chocolate lover. For attractive presentation, pack some in small foil cases and put them in a pretty box.
- Take them to potlucks or parties – and watch as they quickly disappear. They are crowd pleasers.
With three kinds of chocolate and the addition of festive Fruit Mince, these chocolate truffles will be a perfect addition to your Christmas menu and are certain to be popular.
Alex xx
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Christmas Fruit Mince Truffles
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Fruit Mince Truffles Truffles:
- 125 ml (½ cup) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 1
- 200 g (7 oz) dark cooking chocolate (70 % cocoa solids)– finely chopped See Note 2
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup fruit mince – I use homemade, but store bought is fine. See Note 3
For the Coating and Decoration:
- 180 g (6 oz) milk cooking chocolate
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) white cooking chocolate
- 9 red glacé/candied cherries – halved
Instructions
- Line a small, flat dish with non-stick baking paper. I used a Pyrex, 13 x 18 cm (7 x 5 inches). (See Note 4.)Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and set aside.
- Add the cream to a small saucepan. Over low heat, heat the cream until just below boiling point.
- Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.Cool for 5 minutes and then add the ground cinnamon and fruit mince. Stir well so it is evenly distributed.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Transfer to the fridge to chill, about 1 ½-2 hours, or until it is firm enough to roll into balls.
- Working with a small ice cream scoop, scoop into small balls. If the chocolate is too firm to roll, set it aside for 5-10 minutes. Press on the mixture as you are rolling to make it compact.
- Place each ball on the prepared tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
- To make the coating, break the milk chocolate into even size pieces. Put into a bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water, being careful to not get any water into the chocolate (or it will seize). Stir occasionally. When the chocolate has almost melted, remove the bowl and set it aside. The residual heat will melt any remaining chocolate.Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a microwave. Repeat with the white chocolate.
- Leave the chocolate to cool for about 15 minutes. If it is too warm, it will soften the truffles.
- Remove the truffles from the fridge. Working one at a time, dip each ball in the melted chocolate, and using two small forks, move them around to make sure they are completely coated.
- Using the tips of a fork, lift them out and smooth them on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate and return them to the lined tray. If the chocolate becomes too firm to smoothly dip the balls, re-heat a little and proceed.
- If it is a warm day, you may need to chill them for a few minutes before proceeding to the next step. If the chocolate has firmed on the cooled truffle, you can add about ½ teaspoon of the white chocolate to the top of each truffle and place half a cherry on top.When they are all coated, place the tray in the fridge to set.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. If storing the truffles in layers, separate them with non-stick baking paper.
Notes
- Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
- Chocolate: I use dark chocolate that contains 70% cocoa solids. Although some of our other recipes use 40%, we prefer the higher percentage of cocoa solids for this recipe due to the addition of alcohol in the fruit mince.
- Fruit mince meat: I use my Homemade Fruit Mince. Store bought can be used, but make sure it is vegetarian and tastes delicious. This is one of the few occasions where a volume measurement is more accurate than weight.
- Dish: To make it easier to line the dish, I firmly scrunch the baking paper before placing it. You can, if you wish, use a bowl, it will just take a little longer to chill.
- Leftover chocolate: you may have some leftover chocolate from coating the Fruit Mince Truffles. The best way to make use of the leftover chocolate is to add some slivered almonds or another chopped nut and scoop little mounds onto non-stick baking paper. Alternatively, use a teaspoon to make small circles on baking paper and add sprinkles, as per our Homemade Chocolate Freckles. You have delicious confectionery, with minimal effort.
- Storage: the truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing: the truffles can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container. The chocolate may “bloom”, however, although they will still taste delicious.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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