You may be reading the name of this recipe and thinking – WHAT? Goat cheese mixed with gin … IN A TRUFFLE? Are you crazy? However – let us explain, it will all become clear (I think). The inspiration for this recipe comes from two different vacations from the past few years. First: London. Kyle found Gin Truffles at the specialty store, Fortnum and Mason. Since we are gin-obsessed, Kyle knew he had to try these truffles. Well, they didn’t disappoint! The piney flavors of the gin mixed wonderfully with the bittersweet chocolates and added citrus flavors to create a very yummy treat. In fact, he purchased an extra package to bring home but they did not last very long. The idea of recreating these truffles at home has constantly been on his mind since that trip.
The second source of inspiration came from Hedonist Chocolates in Rochester, N.Y. – the very same chocolatier that inspired our Milk Chocolate Sesame Bark. Among their collections of chocolate delights, Hedonist offers a series of Goat Cheese Truffles – a delicious partnership with a local goat dairy. Their creative Goat Cheese Truffle flavors consist of Chile Cinnamon, Strawberry Balsamic and Thyme Pepper Pistachio. From this inventive list of flavors, Kyle decided that a Goat Cheese Truffle would be the perfect vehicle for his procrastinated project of recreating the Fortnum & Mason Gin Truffles.
Two different recipes were cobbled together, a Goat Cheese Truffle from the late Gourmet Magazine and a Gin & Tonic Truffle from BBC Good Food, to create the Gin & Tonic Goat Cheese Truffle of Kyle’s dreams. In order to enhance the gin and tonic flavors in this recipe, we incorporated our favorite G & T additions! The tonic reduction was infused with a few sprigs of rosemary and then some orange bitters were added to the filling.
This may sound a bit Ina Garten-ish, but this recipe may be the right time to splurge on a good tonic water. Kyle used Fever tree, but Q would work just as great. Since you are cooking down the tonic water to a very concentrated syrup, the type of tonic one uses will have an extremely large impact on the final flavors of the truffles.
Now, what gin to use? For this recipe, the citrus-y Bluecoat was used, but a more traditional, juniper-forward gin would work just as well. The fear of making the truffles too boozy was a legitimate fear here, so only about a shot of gin went into the recipe. Kyle feared that adding too much gin would prevent the truffle center from properly firming up.
There were some lovely notes of gin in the truffles which played nicely with the tonic, rosemary and orange notes. However, next time, we will double the amount of gin to make the flavor a bit more assertive. Now we know, there is always room for more gin!
The scariest part of this recipe involves the coating of the truffle filling with the melted chocolate. This is always a messy step, so while planning out the recipe Kyle went back and forth making a decision. Should he actually coat each truffle with melted chocolate or to just cover them with a dusting of powdered sugar and cocoa? The answer – the melted chocolate step. A recipe this decadent deserved the full star treatment. The creamy, tangy goat cheese center nestled in the chocolate shell really puts the truffles over the top. The extra step is definitely worth it!
The truffles may appear dainty, but they pack a mighty pop of flavor! The bittersweet chocolate, botanical gin, tangy goat cheese, citrus, piney rosemary and bitter tonic all merge together to create a monumental combination of flavors. A pinch of flaky salt on top is the finishing touch these scrumptious cocktail-themed truffles need – and there you have it, Kyle’s Gin & Tonic Goat Cheese Truffle dreams have come true!
The holidays may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be memorable. Special treats like these will help make the holidays a bit more magical!
Recipe inspired by Epicurious and BBC Good Food.
- For the filling:
- ½ cup tonic water
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips)
- 6 ounces (about ¾ cup) fresh goat cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons gin
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- For the coating:
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used 1 cup of chocolate chips)
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring tonic water and rosemary to a boil. Boil until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 - 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Melt the 9 ounces of chocolate in a medium bowl set over a small pan of simmering water. Once melted, remove from heat and let chocolate cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together goat cheese, powdered sugar, gin, orange bitters and reduced tonic water until mixture is light and fluffy. Whisk in the chocolate until the mixture is combined well. Chill the mixture in the freezer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until it is firm.
- Form tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place in a parchment lined pan. For the cleanest looking truffles, I found it easiest to use a #70 scoop that I kept dipping in hot water - and wiping off the excess liquid - before scooping each portion. I got into a good rhythm of dip, wipe, scoop and had (almost) perfect spheres of truffle filling. Put the pan in the refrigerator while you melt the coating chocolate.
- Melt the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate in the same medium bowl set over a small pan of medium water. Once melted, remove from the heat. Let it cool down for a couple minutes. Using 2 forks, dip and roll chocolate balls, one at a time, into melted chocolate; tap off excess chocolate. Return to the parchment-lined pan. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt. If coating chocolate has cooled too much, gently reheat over simmering water.
- Refrigerate truffles about 10 minutes or until chocolate is set. The truffles keep in an airtight container, chilled, for several days.
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