This recipe was one my mum got for me when she went to a demonstration on how to make them at a WI meeting. They make very good presents and since Valentine’s Day is coming up I thought it was a good idea to post this recipe. I tend to use sherry as the alcohol but it works with other types too e.g. rum, tia maria etc. The recipe works best with dark chocolate, but it would work with milk chocolate as well. These truffles will keep for about a week in the fridge.

Ingredients

18 ginger biscuits

150g full fat cream cheese

75g desiccated coconut

4 balls of stem ginger (from a jar in syrup)

40g icing sugar

2 heaped tsp of ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp sherry or alcohol of choice

275g dark chocolate

Method

1. Line 2 large baking trays with tin foil and lightly sprinkle with desiccated coconut. (This is to stop the chocolates from sticking to the trays while they set).

2.2. In a food processor blend the ginger biscuits until they resemble breadcrumbs. (Alternatively channel your anger by putting the biscuits in a plastic bag and bashing them with a rolling pin until you achieve the same result)

3. Finely dice the stem ginger balls

4. 4. Put the coconut, crushed ginger biscuits, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, chopped stem ginger and icing sugar in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese, and alcohol and mix with a wooden spoon until it all starts to come together into a slightly sticky dough. (Alternatively you can do this with clean hands if you fancy a more therapeutic approach ).

5. 5. Mould into 25 small round balls and place on the lined baking trays.

6. 6. Transfer to a fridge and leave to chill (The truffles not you!) for at least 30 minutes.

7. 7. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water.

8. 8. Take the chilled truffle dough out of the fridge. Using two spoons carefully place a truffle ball in the melted chocolate and try to coat it completely in the chocolate. (I tend to do this in batches of about four at a time to speed up production slightly).