Makes 20
Preparation time 30 minutes, plus cooling and setting
Cooking time 4–5 minutes
125 ml (4 fl oz) double cream
150 g (5 oz) white chocolate, broken into pieces
25 g (1 oz) strong, hard, white peppermints
40 g (1½ oz) icing sugar
Pour the cream into a heavy-based saucepan and add the chocolate. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, for about 4–5 minutes, until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool.
Whisk the cream mixture until thick, then chill in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours.
Put the peppermints into a plastic bag, crush them with a rolling pin, then stir into the chilled cream mixture. Drop teaspoons of the soft mixture on to a plate and chill for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes until firm.
Sprinkle the icing sugar on to another plate, then roll the truffles in the sugar to form neat balls. When packed in the gift box, dust with the remaining sugar. Chill for at least 2 hours before using. The truffles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For chocolate rum truffles, melt 75 g (3 oz) plain dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat. Beat 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter and 125 g (4 oz) sifted icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the cooled, melted chocolate and 2 tablespoons dark rum. Chill until firm, then shape into 2.5 cm (1 inch) balls and roll each ball in cocoa powder. Makes about 16 truffles that will keep in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks.