Ottolenghis chocolate truffles with pecan nut and Prosecco

Chocolate truffles with pecans and Prosecco. That reads very 'haute cuisine'. But don't let that put you off. If you follow our recipe step-by-step, nothing will go wrong. And the result is definitely impressive and perfect for showing off ;-) The only important thing is that you have enough time with you, because the waiting times in this recipe are essential and cannot be rushed. But we promise you: the work and the wait will be worth it! We will try to answer any questions you may have about the recipe in the FAQ at the end of the article. So feel free to stop by there if you are unsure about anything.

What ingredients you need for the chocolate truffles:

For about 35 pecan prosecco chocolate truffles you need:

• 45g pecans
• 55g milk chocolate (crushed to a fine powder in a food processor)
• 250 g dark chocolate (we recommend 70% cocoa content; 170 g of this is also crushed into a fine powder in the food processor beforehand; we need the other 80 g as a coating)
• 50 ml cream
• 30g unsalted butter
• 50 ml Prosecco
• 1.5 tsp brandy
• 30g alkalized cocoa powder

And here we go!

1. First preheat the oven to 180 °C top/bottom heat, 160 °C fan oven or gas level 4.
2. Spread the pecans evenly on a baking tray and when the oven has reached the desired temperature, place the tray in the oven and roast the nuts for 10 minutes.
3. Then take the nuts out of the oven, let them cool briefly and chop them into very small (around 2 mm) pieces.
4. Put the powdered chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl and set it aside for now.
5. Then warm the butter and cream in a small pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, pour it over the chocolate in the bowl.
6. Let the whole thing stand for about a minute, then stir it together. If there are still a few solid chocolate pieces that have not yet melted, heat the mixture again over a water bath.
7. Then add the Prosecco, brandy and nuts and fold them into the mixture until it has combined into a smooth consistency.
8. Now comes the first part of waiting: For the next step, the chocolate ganache has to be cooled down to room temperature. This can definitely take quite a while. Please do not try to shorten this process in the refrigerator. Otherwise the ganache will unfortunately be uneven and lumpy. So while you wait patiently, stir the chocolate mixture again and again so that the consistency remains smooth and the whole thing flows easily through a piping bag later.
9. So when the ganache has FINALLY reached room temperature, fill it into a piping bag with a 1 cm wide attachment and form seven chocolate snakes about 30 cm long on a baking tray lined with baking paper (that fits in your fridge). Alternatively, you can also form truffle balls. No matter which shape you choose, the truffles now actually have to be put in the fridge and cooled there for another 30 minutes. You can use this time by melting the remaining chocolate in a water bath.
10. When the 30 minutes are over, take the truffles out of the fridge. If you have formed snakes with the piping bag, cut them into 5 smaller mini snakes of 6 cm each. Use a warm, dry knife to do this; you'll be doing yourself a huge favor.
11. For the next and final step, it definitely makes sense to get reinforcements. Because now the truffles get a chocolate-cocoa coating, and with a helping hand you save yourself a lot of hand washing. Prepare the melted chocolate in a bowl and place a shallow bowl or baking dish with the cocoa powder next to it. Dip a truffle into the chocolate to coat it thinly. Remove excess chocolate by rolling the mini snake or ball in your palms. The chocolate coating should lie evenly and smoothly over the ganache. Then the truffle goes straight into the cocoa bath. The other person can also do this step, so you don't have to wash your hands before the next truffle chocolate baptism. Because the chocolate cools quickly, try to hurry up with this step.
12. Once you have coated all the truffles one after the other with chocolate and cocoa, wait one last time for about 30 minutes. Before serving the truffles, shake them carefully again to remove any excess cocoa powder.

And now: enjoy these delicious chocolate truffles! Also, let us know if it was worth the wait :) This recipe was originally created by well-known celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi and dessert queen Helen Goh .

FAQs about the Pecan Prosecco Chocolate Truffles

As promised, we'll try to resolve any possible inconsistencies in the recipe here.

How can I chop the chocolate if I don't have a food processor?

A food processor, a very powerful food processor, is definitely a luxury addition to kitchens. And of course we know that not all households are blessed with this. So before you throw in the towel because you don't have this device: the chocolate can of course also be crushed in other ways :). Classically with a knife, for example. But because it's much more difficult to get it really fine, after adding the hot butter-cream mixture to the chocolate, you'll almost certainly have to heat the whole thing again over a water bath so that the ganache releases chocolate lumps.

What is alkalized cocoa?

When making alkalized cocoa, another step is simply carried out: alkalinization. This makes the cocoa more soluble and gives it a darker color. If you want to know more about what alkalized cocoa and what types of cocoa powder are available, take a look at our article .

Is this also possible in vegan form?

We haven't tried the vegan recipe yet, but there's nothing wrong with it. Simply use vegan “milk chocolate” instead of milk chocolate or only use dark, vegan chocolate. You can definitely replace the cream and butter with plant-based alternatives. If you have tried the recipe veganized, please send us an email and let us know whether it worked well!

Is this also possible without alcohol?

In any case! For example, you can easily replace the Prosecco with non-alcoholic sparkling wine and tada, completely alcohol-free!

Don't like pecans or are you allergic?

That too: no problem at all! You can replace the pecans with any other type of nut.

What is the difference between truffles and chocolates?

The rule applies: all truffles are pralines, but not all pralines are truffles. Truffle pralines are characterized by their round shape and creamy filling. They owe their name to their appearance: with their slightly irregular chocolate shell, they resemble their namesake, the truffle mushrooms.

Are there truffles in truffle chocolate?

No, right, not necessarily. They owe their name to their similar appearance to the delicate mushrooms. A filling with truffles is of course also possible.

Is there alcohol in truffle chocolate?

That depends entirely on the filling. Some truffle pralines contain alcohol, others without.

How are truffle pralines made?

We recommend that you read the recipe that precedes the FAQ :-)

Header photo by Nico Wijaya on Unsplash