Haute Cuisine

I initially created it for a wedding party where I used some praline shading on the fine shell to give it a very gourmet look.
The Champagne Truffle, on the other hand, was my attempt to bring Switzerland to India. I’ve travelled around, tasted lots of chocolates, but I still think

Swiss chocolates are the best. So I started with making this one very traditionally Swiss, hand-rolled with Swiss dipping forks and all. When I brought it to India, 15 years back, it wasn’t as appreciated. But it was still one of my favourites, and finally my Indian customers are also waking up to it. Now the Swiss dipping forks have been replaced by the ghar ka kaanta and people are even making it at home. Like its special ingredient, champagne, this too can be eaten at any time of day, and not necessarily after coffee or dinner.

CHAMPAGNE TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS
100 gm fresh cream
150 ml champagne
250 gm icing sugar
300 gm melted dark chocolate
for centres
500 gm dark chocolate for dipping

METHOD
Boil 100 gm fresh cream. Cool completely. Mix with melted 300 gm dark chocolate. Stir well. Add 150 ml champagne. Cool in refrigerator. Divide the mixture into small portions and roll into balls. Arrange on a tray. Cool again for ten minutes. Dip each ball in melted and tempered dark chocolate and then roll each ball in a pan of icing sugar until each ball is well covered. Once all truffles are ready, store, cool and dry. Serve with coffee.
Makes three dozen

ALMOND CARAMEL

INGREDIENTS
500 gm sugar
500 gm fresh cream
20 gm butter
150 gm roasted almond
1 kg melted white chocolate
20 gm drinking chocolate
for shading

METHOD
Melt sugar in a pan till golden brown. Add fresh cream and bring to boil. Boil thoroughly. Add roasted and chopped almonds to boiling mixture. Remove.
Makes 12 dozen