We all know that chocolate and chilli are best friends, but in Mexico, there’s a third wheel in this relationship. Tequila, with its grassy, creamy, peppery Agave character marries beautifully with both chilli and chocolate.

In this recipe, we give centre stage to this dream-team, combining our Limited Edition Picante with milk chocolate, to create a flavourful yet delicate, creamy truffle centre, coated with dark chocolate, for a well-balanced finish. If you want to use dark chocolate for the centre instead, make sure to add extra cream, for anything over 70% cocoa solids (2-3 tbsp should do the trick).

These are fun to make, but fair warning – they are dangerously addictive.

This recipe makes 12-14 truffles.

Ingredients

100g High quality Milk Chocolate (for truffle filling)
100g High quality Dark Chocolate (for truffle coating)
35g Double Cream
15g Butter
Pinch of Salt
3tbsp (or 45ml) Moore House Picante
Cocoa Powder (for dusting)
Flaky Salt & Chili Powder (optional)

Method

1. Finely chop the milk chocolate and place in a glass or ceramic bowl. Leave to one side.
2. Heat cream, butter, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly. As the cream starts to steam (but not boil), add in the Picante, and then heat for another 30 seconds, still stirring. Don’t let the liquid boil (but small bubbles around the edge of the pan are fine).
3. Pour this mixture over your chopped milk chocolate and leave to sit for 2 minutes, before stirring to a smooth ganache. If it does not combine completely, or the chocolate has not fully melted, heat it back up again slowly (over a pan of simmering water) until any lumps have dissolved. Leave to cool slightly and then cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to set, 1-2 hours.
4. Uncover your filling, and using an electric whisk, whip the ganache for 15-20 seconds, so that it becomes paler in colour and lighter in texture (be careful not to overdo this). Dust your fingertips with cocoa power and using a teaspoon to help you, roll the ganache into 10-12 truffle sized balls, coating with cocoa powder. Once rolled, chill these in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
5. Melt your dark chocolate. If you’re up for the challenge, learn how to temper chocolate, to create shiny, crisp chocolate shells (check out this page for guidance and this page if you want some science) but be warned that you’ll need a sugar thermometer. Alternatively, regular melting will do the job and still taste great – finely chop your dark chocolate and melt it in a small bowl, over a pan of simmering water (or in regular short bursts, if using a microwave), making sure to stir regularly so that you don’t burn the chocolate. Once there are no pieces left, put the chocolate to one side.
6. Line a sheet with baking parchment and get your rolled ganache out of the fridge. Use a teaspoon (or cocktail stick) and one at a time, coat each truffle in a layer of chocolate and then place these on the parchment paper. Make sure to work quickly so that any residual heat from the chocolate does not melt the ganache. As they start to cool, sprinkle with flaky salt (or mix this with some chilli powder for an extra kick).
7. If you have tempered your chocolate, your truffles will set within minutes. If not, leave them uncovered in a cool, dry space, overnight. They should harden fully and can then be kept at room temperature for a few days, or in the fridge for 1-2 weeks (if you can resist them for that long).

Enjoy,

Emily