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Have you ever heard of Nigella Lawson?
Do you want to emulate her incredible cooking methods by trying out some of her own recipes?
Do you dream of being a great baker and confectionary like she is?
If so, you’re in the right place! In this article, I’m here to tell you all about the best chocolate truffle recipes Nigella features on her website. I’ll walk you through the top choices and give you a chance to see for yourself what makes these recipes stand out so much from others you might find elsewhere.
Of course, if you don’t know much about Nigella, I’ll give you a crash course in her history too. In the beginning of the article, I’ll tell you everything about who Nigella is, what she does, and how her cooking can make a difference in your life. You’ll be ready to buy all her books and watch her shows by the time you’ve finished reading here!
At the end of the article, I’ll also tell you my favorite chocolate truffles recipe Nigella recommends. You might be surprised to find out which ones are the most highly recommended from this list!
If you’re looking for the perfect chocolate truffle recipe Nigella would make herself, look no further than this article. Here, you’ll be presented with tons of options to help you make the most of your truffle making endeavors. In no time, you’ll have a batch of truffles you can be proud to serve, give away as gifts, or just enjoy all on your own.
So let’s get started!
Who Is Nigella?
Nigella Lawson is a well-known British television host with her own cooking show. However, she’s also much more than that. She’s a journalist as well as a food critic, and she’s been in the business of food for a long time. When it comes to cooking, recipes, and knowing what tastes great, nobody does it better than Nigella.
Nigella’s passion for food began when she was very young. Her mother’s family owned a food catering business, and she was raised around food and culinary ingredients from an early age. She graduated from Oxford University and soon became a restaurant critic, touring local restaurants and writing about them in the newspaper.
From there, Nigella worked for many different magazines and newspapers, always focusing on her love of food and cooking. She soon wrote her first book, and her career simply skyrocketed from there. Her book became a bestseller very quickly, and she saw a lot of success along the way.
But there’s a lot more to learn about Nigella in terms of her career. In the following section, I’ll give you a few more details about her books, television shows, and what she’s up to these days.
A History of Nigella’s Career
Nigella has had a very long and successful career in the food industry. In this section, I’ll outline what she’s done in the past and where she plans to go from here.
Nigella’s Books
After working for newspapers and magazines for many years during her early career, Nigella published her first book. From there, she continued to write more books, and her popularity has only grown over the years.
- How to Eat – Nigella’s first book was published in 1998. This is a simple book about how to prepare food easily and save time while making it, and it was a wildly successful book in the late 90s. It sold over 300,000 copies and became almost synonymous with modern cooking at the time.
- How to Be a Domestic Goddess – Published in 2000, this book focuses more on baking and explains the relationship between cooking and the casual modern home chef. This book won Nigella the honor of Author of the Year at the British Book Awards the following year.
- Nigella Bites – This book focused on meals home chefs would be happy to make frequently as part of their weekly or monthly rotation.
- Nigella Summer – This cookbook focused on “summer food,” or lighter dishes with sunny ingredients usually eaten during the hotter months of the year.
- Feast – This is Nigella’s holiday cooking extravaganza, featuring recipes for just about every holiday and special occasion you can imagine.
- Nigella Express – This book includes recipes for very quick dishes and plenty of tips for kitchen shortcuts that any home chef can make to save time during a busy schedule.
- Nigella Christmas – Prepare an incredible Christmas dinner with any of the recipes found in this book. Here, you can also find tips to make your holiday preparation go much more smoothly.
- Nigella Kitchen – If you love comfort food, check out the incredible recipes Nigella has included in this book to help home chefs make food that hearkens back to days gone by.
- Nigellissima – This is Nigella’s collection of tasty Italian dishes with a hearty flare that are as easy to make as any of her other recipes.
- Simply Nigella – Her newest book, Simply Nigella features easy recipes that can be made without complicated ingredients, as well as recipes with a modern touch.
Nigella’s Shows
Aside from her publishing success, Nigella also has been a part of a handful of television shows as well. These have all been broadcast in the UK and later brought to the United States due to their high popularity and demand.
- Nigella Bites – Her first series, Nigella Bites was originally filmed inside her own home. It focused largely on making cooking as quick and easy as possible for modern chefs at home.
- Forever Summer – This series, following Nigella Bites some years later, was intended to showcase recipes that felt like vacation food. The ease with which these recipes could be prepared and the simplicity of their ingredients were meant to call to mind the lazy days of summer.
- Nigella Feasts – This series focused primarily on comfort foods that could be served family-style to a large group of people.
- Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen – This was a three-part series that aired during the holiday season in December of 2006 and was situated around holiday cooking.
- Nigella Express – This series didn’t have much of a strong focus, but simply showcased many of Nigella’s favorite recipes and those that she highly recommends.
- Nigellissima – This series was the accompaniment to the book of the same name, and revolved around Italian cooking.
- Simply Nigella – This was another series that focused on comfort food as well as dishes that could be prepared quickly and easily.
Where is She Now?
Today, Nigella is still creating shows for the BBC, many of which are still being brought over to Food Network and other United States channels. She also runs her website, Nigella.com, where many of her favorite recipes of her own as well as from members of her online community have been featured.
Nigella and Truffles
The truffle recipes in this article are all Nigella approved, although some of them are originally made by members of her online community. These recipes give you a great starting point to help you understand a lot about what making confectionaries the Nigella way really means. When you prepare these recipes, there are a few things you should know beforehand:
- You will need to know how to set up a double boiler. Simply put, this is a small bowl set over a larger saucepan with about one inch of boiling water in the pan. Be sure to leave room between the boiling water and the bottom of the bowl. Do not set the bowl into the water. The bowl can then be used to melt chocolate and other ingredients.
- Most of these recipes call for baking chocolate. This should be at least 50% cocoa content (except in the case of white chocolate). The higher the cocoa content, the better quality the chocolate. If you want to work with the really good type of chocolate, you may need to budget extra for the cost.
- Be prepared to spend several hours working on your truffles. The longer a ganache can set up in the refrigerator, the better it will be for rolling and coating later on. These aren’t quick recipes, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to complete them. Some may even require overnight chilling if possible.
1. Orange Chocolate Truffles
This recipe is a delicious way to enjoy the great, juicy flavor of orange in every bite. Combined with white chocolate, orange makes for a refreshing and delicious treat, and these truffles are ready to show off both ingredients and really let them shine! Make a batch of them for the perfect summertime treat. Save them for summer holidays or just enjoy them on your own as you relax in the heat!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 ½ hours
Difficulty: 3
Ingredients
- 3 oranges
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8oz high-quality white baking chocolate
- Finely chopped coconut to coat
Procedure
1. Add cream to a small saucepan with a heavy bottom.
2. Remove zest from oranges and cut into three long strips.
3. Add orange zest to heavy whipping cream in the saucepan.
4. Bring cream to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Just after boiling, remove from the heat and let the mixture stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Finely chop the white baking chocolate and place in a large heat-resistant bowl.
7. Bring cream to just before boiling once again on low heat on the stovetop.
8. Strain cream through a fine sieve into the bowl with the white baking chocolate.
9. Let stand for 30 seconds.
10. Gently stir the mixture until the chocolate has completely melted.
11. Let stand at room temperature for 4 hours to cool completely.
12. Place coconut in a small bowl or shallow plate.
13. Form truffle mixture into 1-inch balls by hand and set on a lined baking sheet.
14. Roll each ball into coconut one at a time and return to the baking sheet.
15. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
16. Serve at room temperature.
2. Chocolate Coconut Truffles
Do you love the taste of coconut? Do you enjoy perfect tropical flavor throughout your favorite chocolate candies? If so, then this recipe is the right one for you! With only three ingredients, you can put this recipe together in almost no time, and it definitely won’t break your cooking budget either. Coconut and chocolate together make for a great homemade gift to give for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and other romantic holidays.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: 3
Ingredients
- 14oz at least 50% high-quality bittersweet baking chocolate
- 14oz desiccated coconut
- 14oz sour cream
Procedure
1. Finely chop baking chocolate into very small pieces. Alternately, place in a bag and smash with a hammer to break into tiny pieces.
2. Place chocolate pieces in a small heat-resistant bowl.
3. Add sour cream to a small saucepan and heat over low until just boiling.
4. Pour hot cream over the chocolate in the small bowl.
5. Stir chocolate and sour cream together until completely melted.
6. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
7. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill for 2 hours.
8. Add coconut to chilled chocolate mixture and combine until thick enough to roll into a ball.
9. Roll into 1-inch balls by hand and place on a serving platter.
10. Serve at room temperature.
3. Irish Cream Truffles
If you want an extra kick in every bite of your favorite truffles, look no further than this fun recipe! Irish cream makes chocolate taste even better than it normally does, and these truffles are no different. You’re sure to be impressed by the great flavor you can get out of this simple recipe. Make them for the holiday season and they’re sure to quickly become your family’s favorite treats. They also work nicely for a New Year’s Eve celebration snack!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: 3
Ingredients
- 2oz heavy whipping cream
- 7oz at least 60% high-quality bittersweet baking chocolate
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Bailey’s or other Irish cream liqueur
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3-1/2 oz unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Procedure
1. Finely chop baking chocolate and set aside.
2. Add cream to a small saucepan with a heavy bottom.
3. Add sugar and stir to combine.
4. Heat cream and sugar over low until just boiling. Remove from heat immediately.
5. Add the chocolate to the hot cream and stir until melted completely.
6. Add butter and Bailey’s and stir again to combine well.
7. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl lined with plastic wrap.
8. Cover tightly with the plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
9. Turn out onto a cutting board and powder both sides of the chocolate mixture with cocoa powder.
10. Slice chocolate into 20 pieces.
11. Serve at room temperature.
4. Biscuit Truffles
Make this truffle recipe with only three ingredients and you’ll be able to wow all your friends and family by how simple it is! This is a very easy recipe that you can get the kids involved with making too. It works especially nicely when you’re looking for the perfect truffles to give away as gifts for any time of the year. Since it’s made with biscuits instead of dairy ingredients, it will hold up a bit longer and won’t spoil quite as quickly, making it a good choice for preparing ahead and giving to others.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: 2
Ingredients
- 2 packets of chocolate digestive biscuits or cookies
- 9oz cream cheese
- Chocolate sprinkles to taste
Procedure
1. Add chocolate cookies to a food processor or blender and pulse on high until they become fine crumbs.
2. Add cream cheese to the food processor or blender. Process again until combined well with the cookie crumbs.
3. Add mixture to a small bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Roll into balls of one teaspoon of mixture each and place on a lined baking sheet.
6. Add chocolate sprinkles to a small bowl.
7. Roll each truffle in the chocolate sprinkles to coat well.
8. Return to the baking sheet.
9. Chill in the freezer for 1 hour to set up.
10. Serve at room temperature or enjoy frozen straight out of the freezer.
5. Pistachio Truffles
Pistachio may be a bit of an acquired taste, but if you’re a fan of these delicious little members of the nut family, you’re sure to enjoy these tasty truffles. White chocolate pairs with pistachio in this recipe to create the perfect blend of flavor and an excellent texture, too. Add a splash of coconut liqueur to give these truffles the perfect final touch of flavor!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: 3
Ingredients
- 9oz high-quality white baking chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut liqueur
- 3oz heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 3 tbsp pistachios
Procedure
1. Finely chop baking chocolate and set aside.
2. Add pistachios to a blender or food processor and pulse on high until a fine powder has formed. Set aside.
3. Add cream to a large pan with a heavy bottom.
4. Heat over low until just before boiling. Remove the cream from the heat.
5. Immediately add white chocolate and stir well until completely melted.
6. Add coconut liqueur and stir again to combine well.
7. Cover mixture with plastic wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours to set up.
8. Scoop the truffle ganache into one-inch balls by hand and place on a lined baking sheet.
9. Add coconut to one small bowl and add pistachio powder to another.
10. Roll truffles first in coconut and then in pistachio powder.
11. Return to the baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour more to set.
12. Serve chilled.
6. Sweet Simple Truffles
Sometimes, all you need is a simple truffle recipe to help satisfy your sweet tooth. With this easy recipe, you can prepare a batch of French style truffles that are as soft and creamy as they are sweet and powdery. Every element of a traditional truffle is present in this recipe, so don’t be afraid to give it a try the next time you’re looking for a dessert that’s packed with chocolate taste.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours
Difficulty: 2
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 6oz at least 70% high-quality bittersweet baking chocolate
- 1oz butter
- Unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder to taste
Procedure
1. Add chocolate and butter to a large microwavable bowl.
2. Add cream and place in the microwave.
3. Microwave on high for 30 seconds.
4. Stir until smooth and combined. If the chocolate hasn’t melted all the way, return to the microwave for 10 seconds at a time and stir in between each time until the chocolate has just melted. Do not overcook.
5. Let chocolate stand at room temperature for 40 minutes to set up.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Roll truffle ganache into balls by hand and place on the lined baking sheet.
8. Add cocoa powder to a small bowl or shallow plate.
9. Roll truffles one at a time in cocoa powder to coat well.
10. Serve at room temperature.
7. Honorable Mention: Truffle Cake
Although not technically a truffle, this truffle cake is made in much the same way. Nigella recommends it highly, especially when you want a light and flavorful chocolate cake. It’s perfect for any occasion! Every bite of this unique cake recipe will taste like you’re biting into a real chocolate truffle. Give it a try when you’re craving truffles and see for yourself just how great it can be to chow down on a chocolate truffle cake instead!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 ½ hours
Difficulty: 5
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg white separated
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 drop of white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup good quality rum
- 14oz at least 50% high-quality bittersweet baking chocolate
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- More cocoa powder to decorate
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Oil the sides of the pan with cooking spray or Crisco.
3. Add separated egg white to a small mixing bowl.
4. Whisk well until foamy peaks begin to form.
5. Add sugar and whisk a little bit at a time until the mixture becomes thick and shiny.
6. Run the 2 tsp of cocoa powder through a sieve into the mixing bowl.
7. Add the drop of vinegar and whisk well again until all ingredients are combined.
8. Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of the spring form pan.
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
10. When cake has finished baking, set aside and let cool to room temperature while you prepare the filling.
11. Set up a double boiler on the stovetop.
12. Add chocolate to the double boiler along with syrup and rum.
13. Whisk slowly until chocolate has melted and ingredients are well combined.
14. Remove from heat and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
15. Add cream to a separate small mixing bowl slowly and whisk into mixture until thickened. It should be similar to pudding.
16. Pour cream into the chocolate and beat gently until well combined.
17. Pour chocolate mixture into the baking pan over the cooked meringue.
18. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
19. Let cake come to room temperature, then remove from pan.
20. Dust the top of the cake with more cocoa powder.
21. Serve.
Tips and Tricks for Making Chocolate Truffles
Making chocolate truffles at home doesn’t have to be a complicated matter. To some home cooks, a chocolate truffle recipe seems like it’s going to be very difficult, especially when they start to see words like “ganache” and “double boiler” thrown around without much explanation. With the tips outlined below, you’ll be able to make any of these great chocolate truffle recipes without so much as a second glance. You’ll have all the information you need to put together the perfect batch of truffles from start to finish, and you’ll be better able to anticipate any problems that might come your way.
Taste Improvement
Improving the taste of your chocolate truffles is a concern many home cooks have. Follow these tips below to make your truffles taste better than ever before.
- Always use heavy whipping cream or cream cheese. Depending on the recipe you’re working with, you might notice cream or cream cheese in the list of ingredients. Truffles just won’t come out tasting the right way if you substitute other types of dairy. You’ll need a different kind of recipe if you plan to do this.
- Always use high-quality baking chocolate. Don’t substitute chocolate chips, melting chocolate, or candy bars for this ingredient. You’ll be surprised at how incredible your truffles will taste when you stick to the good quality stuff!
- Use Dutch process cocoa powder whenever possible. The regular cocoa powder is acceptable, but it may not give you the flavor or texture that you might expect from an authentic French chocolate truffle. If you can find it, use the Dutch process version.
- Serve at room temperature unless otherwise stated. Truffles are usually kept at room temperature in authentic candy shops. If your recipe doesn’t tell you to keep your truffles cold until serving, then don’t make this mistake. Most truffle ganache needs to be a bit soft in order to get the right consistency.
Appearance Improvement
Although you might not be too concerned with the appearance of your chocolate truffles, you might be considering giving them as gifts. With these tips, you’ll be able to make truffles that are worthy of being presented to anyone you know.
- Always stir your melting chocolate in the same direction. Changing the direction in which you stir can make your chocolate lose its luster pretty quickly, and it might make it look streaky too.
- When rolling truffles, consider coating your fingers with cocoa powder while you roll them. This will keep them from sticking to your hands, and it will also give you a little extra cocoa powder to work with while dipping, too! Truffles won’t look as lumpy when you keep your hands powdered with cocoa while you’re working with them.
- When all else fails, use an ice cream scoop. If you have trouble rolling your truffle chocolate out by hand, use an ice cream scoop to get a good size and shape that matches well between each one. You’ll be able to make a uniform batch of truffles, and all you’ll have to do is smooth them out a bit at the end.
Conclusion
Did you realize there could be so many incredible chocolate truffle recipes out there? With Nigella backing them up, you know you’re getting a great truffle every time you make one of these tasty treats. And with so many different versions to choose from, you can get the perfect truffle to fit your mood no matter when your sweet tooth decides to strike!
Picking your favorite from this list should be easy. Just remember to choose one that includes ingredients you’re happy to work with and don’t be afraid to try experimenting with something new. Whether you like dark or white chocolate, and whether you prefer your truffles rolled in coconut, cocoa powder, or something else entirely, there’s a Nigella-friendly truffle recipe just waiting for you!
Of course, sometimes you need a little bit of a recommendation to get you on your way. If so, don’t worry! I’m happy to give you tips on which of these are my personal favorites.
My number one choice from the list above is easily the Orange Chocolate Truffles recipe. This is a delicious twist on the classic truffle that’s sure to put a smile on anyone’s face. With the addition of heavy whipping cream steeped with orange zest, the tasty flavor of orange is present throughout the entire truffle. And since this isn’t a dipped truffle recipe, it’s even easier to make than you might expect!
Of course, if you’re looking for something a little more unique, you can’t go wrong with the Truffle Cake. Although this isn’t exactly a truffle recipe in the usual sense of the word, the cake makes for an incredible variation on standard truffles by incorporating all the classic ingredients into a different form. Every bite of this cake will remind you of French truffles you’ve had in the past. And it makes an excellent addition to any family get-together, too!
No matter which recipe you decide to try first, you can be sure you’ll be enjoying a delicious truffle Nigella herself would be happy to make. Give them all a try and see which one is your favorite. You’ll be glad you did!
