Turning Tim Tams into Truffles

If you’ve been waiting in eager anticipation of something special this festive season, and have a little time to spare, why not try these little beauties.

I found a recipe online for something similar, but I was rather unhappy with the end result, even though I followed the recipe ‘to the letter’.

Not one to be beaten, the second time around, I made a few adjustments to the recipe method and ingredients, and voilà, I now have my own recipe for a decadent little bite of Christmas cheer.

White Chocolate Tim Tam Truffles

ingredients:
2 pkt white chocolate Tim Tams – chilled
250g softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese
½ cup desiccated coconut
1 pkt blanched almonds
2 x 225g pkt Cadbury white chocolate melts
mini cupcake papers
extra desiccated coconut (1½ – 2 cups)

makes approx. 40 truffles – can be halved

step one: Place the almonds in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between, until all the almonds are roasted without making their colour excessively brown, set aside to cool.

step two: Place the Tim Tams in a large bowl and crush until they resemble a small crumb. Place the Tim Tams back into the refrigerator.

step three: In another bowl, and using an electric beater, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the crushed Tim Tams and continue to beat until the mixture is well combined. Add the coconut and mix through. Place this mixture into the refrigerator for at least one hour to harden.

step four: Once the mixture has hardened, measure teaspoon fulls and roll into small balls. Insert an almond into the centre of the ball and finish rolling. Place into an airtight container and return to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

step five: Place the chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl and microwave on 20-second bursts, stirring between, until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir until smooth and allow to cool slightly.

step six: (now comes the messy bit) Working with one ball at a time, add to the melted chocolate and roll around to coat. Remove from the chocolate using either a couple of teaspoons or a food skewer gently inserted into the ball. Allow the excess chocolate to drain off and roll in the extra coconut. Place into a mini cupcake paper and refrigerate the balls until the chocolate has set.

important Information:

• You can double dip if you wish, but you will need more chocolate melts.
• You can use any Tim Tam for this recipe, although the truffle’s colour will not be white.  You can also use milk or dark chocolate melts.
• For those who don’t have access to Arnott’s Tim Tams, any white chocolate-coated shortbread biscuit will do, but I can’t guarantee the result because Tim Tams are a cream filled biscuit.
• Any leftover coconut and chocolate can be mixed together and portioned into the mini cupcake papers.  Simply top with an almond and refrigerate to harden.
• Leftover almonds can be stored in an airtight container for later use.
• If you’d like to add a little liqueur, add 60 ml and be aware that doing so will make the mixture softer.

You can download a printable version here.

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In response to the WordPress Photo Challenge – Anticipation