To celebrate the festive season, award-winning pastry chef Lauren Eldridge has created a series of special Christmas desserts to wow family and guests. On today’s menu: Chocolate Truffle Christmas Wreath.
Serves 10-12
Prep time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Setting time only – 4+ hours / overnight
White Chocolate & Coconut Truffle Ingredients
120gm heavy cream
1½tsp vanilla paste
25gm glucose
330gm white chocolate
¼tsp coconut essence
400gm white chocolate, melted
Dessicated coconut and icing sugar, for coating
Dark Chocolate & Candy Cane Truffles
150gm heavy cream
50gm glucose
20gm peppermint liqueur
½tsp peppermint essence
25gm butter
360gm dark chocolate
450gm dark chocolate, extra
35gm coconut oil
150gm candy cane
Egg Nog Salted Caramel Ingredients
40gm sugar
30gm glucose
130gm cream
15ml brandy
¼tsp salted caramel essence
¼tsp nutmeg
2tsp salt
20gm butter
100gm milk chocolate, chopped
300gm caramel chocolate, chopped
200gm caramel chocolate, extra
Pearl sugar, silver cachous and melted white chocolate, for decorating
Meringue Kisses Ingredients
2 egg whites
200gm white caster sugar
Chocolate Truffle Christmas Wreath Method
1. To make white chocolate and coconut truffles, place chocolate into the Nutribullet canister. Bring cream, vanilla and glucose to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and pour over the chocolate. Add coconut essence and leave to sit for 30 seconds. Pulse in the Nutribullet until the mixture is emulsified. Pour onto a tray and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to set in refrigerator for 1 hour or until the ganache is malleable.
2. Take large teaspoons of ganache and roll into balls and place on a tray or plate. Spread coconut onto a tray. Using a fork, dip half the chocolate truffles, one at a time, into the melted white chocolate, allowing any extra to drip off, then roll in dessicated coconut to coat.
3. Transfer to a separate tray and leave to set.
4. For the remaining truffles, coat in melted chocolate, leave until semi-set and then roll in the tray of icing sugar. Makes 35-40.
5. To make dark chocolate and candy cane truffles, place chocolate into the Nutribullet canister. Bring cream and glucose to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and pour over the chocolate. Add peppermint liqueur and essence and leave to sit for 30 seconds. Blend in the Nutribullet until the mixture is emulsified, add butter and blend to combine. Pour onto a tray and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to set in refrigerator for 1 hour or until the ganache is malleable.
6. While ganache is setting, place the candy cane into a clean, dry Nutribullet cannister and pulse to break into fine pieces; spread onto a tray. Take large teaspoons of ganache, roll into balls and place on a tray or plate.
7. Melt the extra dark chocolate and coconut oil together in a saucepan over low heat. Using a fork, dip a third of the chocolate truffles, one at a time, into the chocolate, allowing any extra to drip off, then roll in candy cane mixture to coat. Transfer to a separate tray and leave to set. Makes 35-40.
8. For eggnog salted caramel, place chocolate into the Nutribullet canister. Melt sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat until it begins to caramelise. Once it is golden, add glucose and swirl the pan to combine. Carefully pour in the cream (it will bubble up), stir to combine and remove from the heat. Add brandy, salted caramel essence, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the chocolate and blend in the Nutribullet until the mixture is emulsified, add butter and blend to combine. Pour onto a tray and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to set in refrigerator for 1 hour or until the ganache is malleable.
9. Take large teaspoons of ganache and roll into balls and place on a clean tray or plate. Melt the extra chocolate. Using a fork, dip half the chocolate truffles, one at a time, into the chocolate, allowing any extra to drip off. Sprinkle pearl sugar or silver cachous over half of the truffles while the chocolate is melted, transfer to a separate tray and leave to set. Drizzle the remaining truffles with melted white chocolate or leave plain. Makes 35-40.
10. To make meringue kisses, preheat oven to 120°. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Using electric beaters or a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are foaming. Add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well between each addition. Continue beating until all the sugar is dissolved. Rub a little meringue between your fingers, if it feels gritty, keep whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe small kisses onto the tray.
11. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until dry. Leave to cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container until ready to assemble.
12. To assemble wreath, using a 30cm-diameter circle plate as a guide, map a large circle with the truffles around the outside of the plate. Use toothpicks to stick the truffles together. Build a smaller circle of truffles inside the outer ring and use toothpicks to secure. Place the remaining truffles onto the top of the circles to create a wreath effect and secure with toothpicks. Carefully place toothpicks into the meringue kisses and add to the wreath.
Note You may have more meringue kisses than necessary for the wreath. Extra meringue will store for 1 week in an airtight container.
Showstopping Christmas Desserts
Discover more showstopping Christmas dessert recipes created by Lauren Eldridge!
► Gingerbread and Coconut Layered Cake
► Brandy and Vanilla Croquembouche
► Pavlova Stack with Peaches and Almond Praline
