Capezzoli di Venere - Nipples of Venus

In his beautiful cookbook Giuseppe's Easy Bakes, Giuseppe Dell'Anno, winner of The Great British Bake Off, shares his version of these creamy, boozy chestnut and brandy truffles. They are made with just five ingredients and are coated in a thin layer of white chocolate and topped with a chocolate drop to give them their iconic shape. Giuseppe’s recipe calls for cooked chestnuts which you can find in stores and markets all year round. They add a subtle nutty flavour to the chocolate and cream centre, but they produce the creamiest, most melt-in-the-mouth texture, perfectly washed down by a glass of sweet Marsala wine.

Makes 16

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus resting and chilling time

Ingredients

• 100g (3½oz) dark chocolate drops (50–55% cocoa solids), plus extra to decorate
• 70g (¼ cup) whipping (heavy) cream (35–40% fat)
• 120g (about 1 cup) cooked chestnuts
• 2 tbsp brandy or dark rum
• 200g (7oz) white chocolate chips or bar, broken into small pieces

Method

1. Put the dark chocolate drops in a medium bowl and set aside. Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Once simmering, pour the cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with a plate and leave it, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Stir the mixture very gently until homogeneous, then cover it again and let it rest for a further 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the chestnuts in the bowl of a food processor and blitz them until they have the texture of fine sand. Add the ground chestnuts and brandy to the chocolate mixture and stir well to combine. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Line a chopping board with baking paper and set aside. Once the mixture has cooled and looks firm enough to handle, take it out of the fridge and divide it into 16 equal lumps, each about 20g (¾in). Shape them as balls by rolling them between the palms of your hands then arrange them over the lined chopping board. This task is easier if you are wearing powder- free disposable gloves. Flatten them slightly, just enough to stop them from rolling away, then place them in the freezer to firm up for at least 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate by microwaving it at full power for 1 minute. Stir well with a silicone spatula and, if bits of solid chocolate remain, give it subsequent 10-second bursts in the microwave, stirring well between bursts, until the chocolate is fully melted.
5. Drop each truffle in the melted chocolate, then lift it out with a fork, allow the excess chocolate to drip back in the bowl and return it to the lined chopping board to set. Before the white chocolate sets completely, decorate the top of each truffle with a dark chocolate drop. Store Capezzoli di Venere in an airtight container in the fridge, but serve at room temperature and use within 1 week.

Watch the recipe video

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