Family friendly Dessert Italian

Chocolate tartufo

Name: Chocolate tartufo
Prep time: 400 min
Total time: 400 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: /italian
Ingredients: 600g good-quality chocolate ice-cream; 4 glace cherries; 2 tablespoons good-quality cocoa powder; Chopped toasted hazelnuts, to serve

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6h 40m

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by Jill Dupleix

Food writer

Oct 03, 2015

Apparently, this magical ball of chocolate ice cream, with its little surprise inside, was invented in the town of Pizzo in Abruzzo in 1943, but it has long been associated with Roman cafes such as Tre Scalini. This is a cheat's version using great chocolate ice cream and glace cherries.

600g good-quality chocolate ice-cream
4 glace cherries
2 tablespoons good-quality cocoa powder
Chopped toasted hazelnuts, to serve

Method

1.

Soften the ice cream in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Set out four sheets of baking paper. Working quickly, place a big scoop of softened ice cream onto each one. Lightly press a glace cherry into the middle.
2.

Top with another big scoop of ice cream. Draw up the paper and twist the top tightly to fasten. Place on a tray and freeze overnight. If they aren't nice and round, then wait 3-4 hours until they have firmed up, then reshape them into balls with your hands and refreeze.
3.

Remove the tartufo from the freezer 5 minutes before you want to serve them, then peel off the baking paper. Sit them in a paper muffin case.
4.

Dust each tartufo heavily with bitter cocoa powder, place in a chilled glass or glass bowl, then sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts.