What comes to mind when you think of Silk, Chocolate or Saffron? Ancient. Luxurious. Exotic. Perhaps comforting and delicate?
Saffron is one of the most precious spices in the world; its subtle flavour is tricky to describe, but it’s incredible, vibrant colour in food is instantly recognised. Less well-known are its powerful antioxidant qualities and mood-enhancing qualities.
Chocolate has no requirement for its virtues to be extolled. I mean, an entire day is allocated to the global celebration of Chocolate every year! Originating in Mesoamerica, the Mexica believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god of wisdom. A wise god indeed to have bestowed the earth with this rich and earthy delicacy.
Silk has long been perceived as a luxurious fabric, its sensual softness regarded as being the providence of royalty or the wealthy. For millennia people have been fascinated with the incredible soft nourishing qualities of silk alongside its remarkable qualities of strength, durability and breathability. Silk is also highly absorptive, enabling it to be easily dyed in more vibrant colours than many natural fabrics.
Silk, Saffron and Chocolate…perhaps not an obvious combination, but with their shared ability to enhance wellbeing and comfort we couldn’t resist bringing the vibrancy of Saffron and Chocolate into our garments. We love the depth of colour of our Chocolate and Saffron fabrics and judging from their popularity there are many people who agree with us!
However, more commonly with either of these delicacies, the thing that first comes to mind is food. Delicious, flavoursome, slightly indulgent – sensations that we hope 2022 will embody after the challenges of the last couple of years!
The team at SilkLiving love our food as much as we love our silks, and we had a fun time in the kitchen recently creating meals using both chocolate and saffron, and then some that combined the two. We enjoyed sharing our creations, and not only do we expect to make many of them again but decided to share the overall team favourite with you.
So here it is – Saffron and Chocolate Truffles – delectable morsels of deliciousness!
100 grams cream
1 generous pinch of saffron
250 grams of fair-trade white chocolate
3 mls Cointreau or Triple Sec
80 grams butter
250 grams fair-trade dark chocolate (minimum 50% cocoa)
cocoa powder (for dusting)
Let's begin!
Boil the cream with the saffron in a pot, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
2.
Chop the white chocolate and place in a bowl. Boil the saffron cream again and strain through a sieve into the chopped white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate while stirring. Stir in the orange liqueur and allow the mixture to cool. Cut the butter into small pieces and gradually stir into the chocolate-cream mixture.
3.
To prepare the truffles, pour the mixture in a piping bag and immediately pipe out large piles on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place the tray in refrigerator until the chocolate piles solidify. Shape the solidified piles into balls or truffles using hands and place back into the baking tray. Chill.
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