Ingredients : Cocoa paste, brown sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier : soy lecithin, natural extract : vanilla. May contain traces of nuts, milk and egg proteins, gluten and peanut.
Cocoa content : Dark chocolate: cacao 69% minimum.
Allergens : May contain traces of nuts, milk and egg proteins, gluten and peanut.
Dimensions (width, length, height) : 6.3 x 2.6 x 0.4 in
Tea with four red fruits truffle ganache
Cube-shaped bonbons, dipped into tempered chocolate couverture, then plunged into chilled rosé champagne.
2 presentations of truffles : dipped in champagne, or dusted with cocoa
Ingredients for the ganache:
(This is best made the day before, and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator overnight.)
340g milk couverture (Monsera chocolate bar 37% cocoa)
68g dark chocolate couverture (Pariguan bar 69% cocoa)
245 g fresh cream
9 g Mariage Frères tea with four red fruits
Ingredients for the couverture used for dipping:
170g dark chocolate couverture (Orinoco bar 60% cocoa)
30g cocoa butter
Champagne:
1 bottle of chilled (6°C) brut rosé champagne
Ingredients for the leftover ganache:
250g dark chocolate couverture (Kuruba bar 60% cocoa)
Ingredients for the coating:
200g cocoa powder
DIRECTIONS
1-Finely chop the chocolate couvertures. Keep the chocolate for the ganache, Orinoco and Kuruba bars separated.
2- Heat the cream to a boil. Remove from heat just as it begins to boil. Add the tea, cover, and infuse for ten minutes. Strain the tea out of the cream and reheat it, to just before boiling.
3- Pour the flavoured cream over the chocolate for the ganache. Let stand for two minutes to allow it to melt. Delicately whisk the mixture in small circular movements beginning in the centre. When the ganache has thickened, make larger circles towards the outside in order to obtain a smooth texture.
Put the ganache immediately into a stainless steel pan, lined with parchment paper, 15mm high and chill to 6°C. (This will take several hours to cool.)
4- Begin to melt the couverture for dipping. With a double boiler, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the couverture for dipping to the top pan of the double boiler. The residual heat in the water will melt the chocolate slowly.
5- After the ganache has set, take the tea with four red fruit truffle ganache and cut into cubes 15 x 15 mm, and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
6- Prepare the melted couverture for dipping by adding the cocoa butter to the melted chocolate and whisk lightly to blend well. The temperature should be maintained at 35°C to make the coating.
Dip the end of the toothpick (2mm) into the couverture before sticking it into the cube. Dip it into the blend of couverture and cocoa butter and shake off the extra from the edges.
7- At the last minute, pour the chilled champagne into small glasses. Then dip the cubes into the chilled champagne. Enjoy!
8- For any remaining ganache, coat the rest of the truffles by hand with the Kuruba bar (melted in the same fashion as step 4), and roll them in the cocoa powder. Place on pan lined with parchment paper. Chill at 6°C for at least ten minutes.
9– Remove from refrigerator and shake off excess cocoa powder. Place in boxes. (La Maison du Chocolat square coffrets).
A word from Gilles Marchal
I came up with the idea to combine two extraordinary products – chocolate and rosé champagne – at La Maison du Chocolat’s 30th anniversary celebration held at the Salle Pleyel in October 2007. My luxurious take on fondue was born.
For your children's birthdays, try replacing the champagne with a non-alcoholic fizzy beverage, and the ganache cubes with marshmallows, fresh fruit or soft sweets – a treat they'll never forget!