Diwali, a festival of lights, is the biggest festival in the Indian subcontinent. It’s the equivalent of Christmas for brown people. And as with Christmas or any other festival for that matter, food is always at the centre of all celebrations. Mithai season (hindi word for sweets/desserts) is well and truly underway :))

For this Diwali, I hope these Rose, Strawberry & Kokum Truffles can make an appearance at your festive table. These are melt in your mouth delicious! So light & flavourful with a cute modern facelift. If you’re somebody who’s not entirely familiar with the art of mithai making and still want to make something impressive AND delicious this festive season, this one is for you.

What makes these truffles amazing?!

Apart from being incredibly delicious and flavourful, they’re deceivingly simple to make. I love truffles but sometimes the process can get a bit tedius with rolling them into balls, tempering chocolate and all that. I wanted to create something that was simple and easy to make, while still retaining all the characteristics of a good truffle. Well, these are just that. You’ve got a silky, melt in your mouth ganache, with a crunchy rice crispy base, all coated in some melted chocolate to seal the deal.

For the flavours, I wanted to use some typical flavours used in Indian mithai, while still adding my own touch to it. Rose & Strawberry are notoriously delicious together, but the addition of Kokum really takes it up a notch. It’s not a fore-front flavour, but rather a hidden gem in the background that just lightens up the palate without hogging all the limelight- letting rose & strawberry really shine. A true supporting star.

Kokum, if you’re not familiar with, is a fruit native to western ghats in India. It’s very sour and typically used in refreshing beverages like Kokum Sherbet or a souring agent in curries- like tamarind. Great way to cut through all the sweetness of rose & white chocolate. You can easily find dried kokum in any Indian grocery store.

These truffles can last for up to a week in the refrigerator so they’re great if you’re planning to make a little gift box for your loved ones. Or a little bite sized indulgence when you’re hosting people over for a Diwali party :)) Watch the full tutorial on how to make these: click to watch.

A stunning and delicious addition to your table this festive season. I hope these Rose, Strawberry & Kokum Truffles bring you and your loved ones as much joy as it did me. You’re gonna absolutely love it. Happy Diwali xx

Recipe

Serves: 12-18

Ingredients

For the rose, strawberry & kokum ganache:

• 20g dried kokum*

• 75g strawberries (measured after removing the leafy tops)

• 1.5 tsp rose water

• 150g good quality white chocolate**

• 35g unsalted butter, at room temp. cubed

For the puffed rice base:

• 80g good quality white chocolate

• 40g rice krispies (puffed rice)

• 1 tsp strawberry powder (optional)

• 1/2 tsp dried rose petals

For assembly:

• 100-120g good quality white chocolate\

• 25g neutral flavoured oil or cocoa butter

• gold leaf, to finish (optional)

• dried rose petals, to finish

Method

For the ganache:

• Soak the dried kokum in hot water for 1-2 hours. Strain and keep aside. Reserve 50g of the water.

• Cut the strawberries into quarters.

• In a blender jar, add the strawberries and the soaked kokum along with the 50g of water. Blend to a puree.

• Strain the puree into a pot. Keep aside.

• In a small measuring jug, add the white chocolate. Keep aside.

• Place the pot over medium heat and heat until just about to boil.

• Pour the hot puree over the white chocolate and emulsify for a minute using an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can also use a whisk to make a smooth ganache.

• Add the cubed butter and rose water and emulsify again till you have a smooth ganache.

• Pour the ganache into a bowl and refrigerate for minimum 12 hours.

For the puffed rice base:

• Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave.

• Add all the ingredients for the base and stir and combine.

• Using a palette knife, spread the mixture onto a baking paper to 3-4mm thickness. Refrigerate until set.

Assembly:

• Watch a video tutorial here: click to watch.

• Transfer the ganache to a piping bag, fitted with a round nozzle. Keep refrigerated.

• Use a 3.5cm cookie cutter and cut circles from the puffed rice base.

• Pipe a dollop of ganache onto each circle. Freeze completely.

• Melt the white chocolate and oil/cocoa butter together. Use at 32°C.

• Place the frozen truffles on a wire rack. Pour the chocolate mixture over each of them individually to completely coat them.

• Transfer the remaining chocolate to a paper piping bag or a small piping bag. Drizzle the chocolate over the truffles.

• Transfer them on a plate and garnish with dried rose petals and gold leaf. Refrigerate in an airtight container until use. Bon appetite!

Notes:

*- If you cannot find kokum or don’t want to use it, simply add 70g more strawberries.

**- I’ve used Callebaut W2 white chocolate here. Any other good quality white chocolate works.

If you enjoyed that and tried it at home, please tag me at @myyummyspatula on Instagram so that I can see all your bakes! For more BTS stories, updates and fun, you can follow long here: