Saffron Truffles

A few days ago, Sumit came home from our local Chocolate Factory with a couple of little truffles in a bag. He had been given a saffron truffle to taste and he was in love. I had a taste (they really were good) and thought “I can make that”.

So I adapted a recipe that I use for vanilla white chocolate truffles and made these saffron ones and they are delicious (and just really gorgeous). Click past the break for the recipe.

Saffron Truffles

500 gr (1 lb) white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons hot water
0.5-1 gr saffron (usually sold in little 0.5 gr packets)
180 gr (6oz) butter, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar

Line an 18 cm (7 inch) square cake tin with parchment paper
Put the saffron in the hot water for a couple of minutes
Put the chocolate, and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir gently until the chocolate has melted. Add the saffron water. The whole thing will separate and look pretty awful and you’ll think you’ve ruined it. Don’t panic. Just keep stirring constantly, folding the mixture over itself over and over again, making sure to not let the mixture get too hot. It should take about 10-15 minutes for the mixture to come together again and become smooth and shiny and lovely. Add the vanilla.
Pour into a cake tin and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
Remove from the tin and cut into small squares.
To serve press the squares onto a plate of icing sugar, leaving the sides uncoated. Serve with coffee or, like we did – with Swedish glögg or other hot mulled wine.

Also: saffron biscotti and the cutest (and easiest) mini gingerbread houses. And if you haven’t done your Christmas shopping – check out my gift guides here.