Dark chocolate orange truffles

Preparation

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  1. Chop the chocolate finely and put it into a bowl.
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  2. Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the butter, cut into small pieces. Heat the cream and butter gently over a low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted into the cream and the mixture is warmed through
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  do not allow it to boil or overheat, turn off the heat at the appearance of the first few bubbles.
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  3. Pour a little of the cream over the chocolate and stir well, then repeat with a little more of the cream each time until it is all mixed in and the chocolate has melted. The chocolate mixture should be smooth, thick and velvety.
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  4. Take the zest from the orange and then squeeze out the juice. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the orange juice and some of the zest and stir it well into the chocolate.
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  5. Line a small shallow baking tray with baking parchment, pour in the mixture and spread it out fairly evenly. Cover and chill in the fridge for about 4 hours to firm up.
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  6. Now it gets messy! Tip the chocolate powder onto a small plate, sifting it through a tea strainer. Quickly divide the truffle mixture into 15 equal sized portions using a knife. Scrape a portion of the truffle mixture off the paper and gently form it into a ball by rolling it in your hands. Roll it in the chocolate orange powder until the outside is completely covered. Chill the truffles again in the fridge for a few hours and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
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  <strong>Notes:</strong>
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  - I used light double cream but you can, off course, use full fat cream to make the truffles even creamier!
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  - You can choose a variety of coverings for your truffles
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  try rolling them in chocolate strands, desiccated coconut, crushed hazelnuts or pistachios, or simply icing sugar.
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  - I love the bitter taste of dark chocolate, but if you like it sweeter, just add a teaspoon of icing sugar to the mixture.