Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and we all need to take the time to celebrate our mums and the mother figures in our lives.

What better way to show mum some appreciation than by making a special gift box filled with Chef Matt Conquest’s delicious, tastebud-tempting gin and tonic-infused chocolate truffles?

Chef Matt’s recipe is as easy as it is delicious, and you can make this gift even more special by boxing it with a handwritten card or buy a gift basket and add a bottle of gin and some dried citrus to use later in a cocktail. Be creative with your own personal touches and flourishes!

Method

1. Line a plate with baking paper.
2. In a small pot, bring the gin and tonic to the boil and reduce by half.
3. In another pot, on gentle heat, heat up the cream and butter to just under boil.
4. Put the chocolate in a heat proof bowl and pour over the cream. Stir the mix until the chocolate is melted.
5. Stir through the reduced gin and tonic into the chocolate mix. If you have a chocolate mould, you can use a mould tray to set your shape, pour the mixture in when its warmeror set the mix hard in the fridge and you can hand roll them for a rustic looking handmade truffle. You should get 12 truffles out of the mix.
6. Put the tray in the freezer until the truffles harden.
7. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe container and heat on medium power for 30-second bursts until melted.
8. Dip the frozen truffle in the chocolate mix, rolling it around with a couple of toothpicks to coat it, and place back on the tray one at a time.
9. Sprinkle the truffles while still soft with the zest mix. Put the truffles in the fridge and, once set, place them into a gift box of your choosing.

You can make this gift box part of a bigger hamper, or just add a lovely bunch of her favourite flowers.