Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Fire the Ganache: Heat the 60 g Thickened cream in a small saucepan until just simmering—do not let it boil over. Pour the hot cream directly over the 100 g Dark chocolate (finely chopped) in a heatproof bowl. Let it sit undisturbed for exactly 2 minutes to allow the thermal transfer to melt the cocoa butter.
- Emulsify: Stir the mixture gently from the centre outwards until a glossy, dark emulsion forms. Fold in the 15 g Kirsch. Cover the surface directly with cling film to prevent a skin forming and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until it reaches a mouldable consistency.
- Moisture Extraction: Remove the 100 g Glace cherries from the Kirsch and thoroughly pat them dry with heavy-duty paper towel. Moisture compromises the structural integrity of the ganache.
- Form the Core: Scoop roughly half a teaspoon of the firm ganache and flatten it slightly in your palm. Position a dried cherry in the center, wrap the ganache entirely around it, and roll it into a tight sphere. Place on a lined tray. Return the tray to the freezer for 20 minutes to force the fat lattice to solidify.
- Build the Binder: In a mixing bowl, combine the 150 g Desiccated coconut, 200 g Sweetened condensed milk, and the 100 g Glace cherries (finely chopped). Mix until it forms a sticky, uniform dough.
- Encasing: Take a tablespoon of the coconut binder and flatten it into a disc in the palm of your hand. Place a frozen ganache core in the centre. Wrap the coconut mixture tightly around the core, rolling it until smooth. Ensure there are no gaps. Repeat, then chill the spheres in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- The Seeding Temper: Place two-thirds (approx. 133g) of your 200 g Dark chocolate (chopped) in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (a bain-marie). Melt until a probe thermometer registers exactly 45°C.
- Cooling the Matrix: Remove the bowl from the heat. Immediately add the remaining 67g of the un-melted chocolate. Stir continuously to introduce stable Type V crystals. Keep stirring until the unmelted pieces dissolve and the temperature drops to the 31°C - 32°C working window.
- The Dip: Submerge each chilled coconut truffle into the tempered chocolate using a dipping fork. Tap the fork firmly on the edge of the bowl to sheer off the excess chocolate, ensuring a thin, crisp shell.
- The Finish: Before the chocolate crystallises and sets, immediately roll the truffle in the 60 g Desiccated coconut (toasted). Transfer the finished truffles to a lined tray and refrigerate until the shell is fully cured.
Nutrition
Notes
Notes & Flavour Hacks:
Flavour Hacks (Why this tastes good):
- Thermal Transfer Emulsion: Allowing the hot cream to sit on the chocolate undisturbed for 2 minutes gently melts the cocoa butter, creating a stable, glossy emulsion without splitting the fat.
- Maillard Reaction: Toasting the outer coating of desiccated coconut triggers the Maillard reaction, introducing nutty, roasted flavour compounds that cut through the intense sweetness of the condensed milk.
- Quandong Swap: Swap standard glace cherries for dried Quandong (Native Peach) rehydrated in a little liqueur for a sharp, tart bush-tucker contrast.
- Wattleseed Profile: Fold 10g of ground Roasted Wattleseed into the coconut encasing mixture to introduce deep, earthy coffee and hazelnut notes.
- White Chocolate & Raspberry: Swap the dark chocolate shell for white chocolate and fold freeze-dried raspberry powder into the coconut binder instead of cherries.
- Mocha Centre: Omit the Kirsch and fold a splash of cold-pressed espresso into the ganache for a rich coffee-cherry profile.
- Kirsch Substitute: No Kirsch? Dark rum or brandy work perfectly as a direct 1:1 replacement by weight.
- Cream Substitute: If thickened cream is unavailable, use pure cream (heavy cream), but monitor it closely as it lacks stabilising gums and is more prone to splitting.
- Chocolate Blooming: If your chocolate shell sets with dull grey or white streaks, your temper was lost. Re-melt the chocolate to 45°C and repeat the seeding process.
- Ganache Splitting: If the ganache turns grainy or oily, the cream was too hot. Add a splash of cold milk and whisk vigorously to force the emulsion back together.
- Dry Coconut Binder: If the coconut and cherry mixture is too dry and crumbles when rolling, add an extra 10g of condensed milk to bind the mixture effectively.
