Ingredients:

• 250g chocolate (dark chocolate, milk chocolate, belgian, valrhona chocolate, basically any kind of chocolate your loved one would fancy)
• 150g cream
• 40g butter (melted)
• 75g dark cocoa powder
• 1 litre water

Method:

1. Get ready a double boiler and if you do not have a double boiler, you can do get 2 saucepans – 1 slightly smaller than the other and can put into the other (of at least 4 to 5 inches in height).
2. Pour 1 litre water into the larger saucepan and place the saucepan on high heat on the stove. Bring the water to a simmer (which means, no boiling as this would burn the chocolate later if you are not careful.)
3. Allow the chocolate to soften a little if you have put it in the fridge.
4. Place the chocolate on a chopping board and break it into squares.
5. Put the chocolate squares into the smaller saucepan and place the smaller saucepan into the larger saucepan.**
6. Stir consistently as the chocolate melts in. (Take care not to let the chocolate burn – heat is the crux of this)
7. Add cream gently to the chocolate mixture and combine well to form ganache.
8. Do not immediately remove the saucepans from the stove but instead, continue stirring until the cream is well blended with the chocolate.
9. Remove the saucepans from the stove and allow it to cool.
10. Once again, reheat the larger saucepan and allow the water in it to simmer. Then place the saucepan with the ganache in the larger saucepan again.
11. Add butter into the ganache and stir well to fully blend it into the ganache.
12. Take both saucepans out from the stove and pour the ganache into a large bowl.
13. Before you place the ganache into the fridge, remember to place a plastic saran wrap or clingflim over the bowl. (This is to prevent a film from developing on the surface of the ganache and will spoil the chocolate.)
14. Put the bowl into the fridge for about 1 hour or until the ganache is stiff to the touch. (Remember: it’s the fridge and not the freezer. Do not hurry the process by placing it in the freezer cos if you do so, you can have choc ganache ice )
15. Once the ganache is ready to be made into truffles, take another bowl and put cocoa powder in it.
16. Using a melon baller or a spoon (my suggestion is to use a melon baller for consistency in size), scoop small amounts of ganache.
17. Make small balls of ganache by rolling them in your palm as quickly as possible before they melt.
18. Then quickly place them into the bowl of cocoa powder and roll them around to make sure they are fully coated with cocoa powder.
19. Now you get chocolate truffles. Perfect for the personalised gift or handmade gift.

**Make sure the water in the larger saucepan does not touch the smaller saucepan when you do it the double boiler method.