Method

Prep

• Bring butter to room temperature
• Set up a double boiler
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat

Make the chocolate truffle

• In a medium mixing bowl using a silicone spatula, cream the butter and sugar
• Chop the chocolate into smallish squares
• Melt chocolate over a double boiler
  • Wait until it’s 90% melted before removing from the heat and stirring
• Add chestnuts to a food processor and chop until fine
• Add to the sugar/butter mixture and mix
• Mix in salt, cayenne, vanilla, and brandy
• Mix in melted chocolate
• Scoop right away onto the baking sheet using a sorbet scoop
• Cover with plastic and refrigerate
• You can freeze any that you don’t use right away and coat them later

Coat with white chocolate

• Set 20% of white chocolate aside for tempering
• Put the rest over a double boiler
• Once it’s 75% melted, stir together (temp should be between 105–110°F)
• Stir in the rest of the white chocolate until it’s all melted
• Put truffle on a fork and use a spoon to coat
• Use another fork to push the truffle off onto the baking mat to set

Top with pink royal icing

• Add powdered sugar to a small bowl
• Add very small amounts of almond milk until you get a very thick consistency that’s pipable
• Add red food coloring to get a pink color
• Pipe onto the coated truffles