Gather edible sweet violets from hedgerows, says Craft and Country editor Emma Pritchard, and treat your mum to countryside-inspired truffles on Mother's Day with a recipe by Epsom’s Sara Jane Chocolates
You will need... (for 28-30 chocolates)
44g whipping cream
19g glucose
125g dark chocolate (broken into very small pieces)
75g butter (room temperature)
400g milk chocolate melted
sweet violets
1 large egg white loosened with drops of cold water
55g caster sugar.
1 Combine cream and glucose in a saucepan, and bring to the boil.
2 Place dark chocolate in a bowl and pour the warm liquid over the top. Stir gently, until the pieces melt and ingredients are mixed.
3 Allow this ganache to cool to 30°C before adding the butter to the pan. Stir.
4 Place this mixture into a piping bag then form ten pence piece-sized truffles on greaseproof paper. Leave to cool in a fridge.
5 Dip each truffle in melted milk chocolate and place on greaseproof paper to set.
6 To decorate with crystallised sweet violets, coat flowers with egg white using a paintbrush, dust with sugar and put on a lined baking tray to dry. Gently position on truffles, fixing with melted chocolate.
Find more delicious treat on Sara Jane Chocolates
Read more of Emma's great ideas for making the most of the countryside in her monthly column* or read more of Emma's musings on her blog, craftandcountry.com; or follow her on Twitter @craftandcountry
*Available in The Surrey Downs Magazine, The Guildford Magazine, The Woking Magazine, The Farnham Magazine, The Elmbridge Magazine and The Kingston Magazine).
