Dried lime truffles with honey and salt (pictured above)

Makes About 40

To coat

• 20g dried limes
• 250g double cream
• 0.5 vanilla bean
• 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 250g dark chocolate
• 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt

• 350g dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 0 Hazelnut

Step 1
Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

Step 2
Crack open the dried limes – a light bash in a mortar is very efficient and satisfying here – then put the pieces of lime shrapnel in a small saucepan with the cream, vanilla, sugar and honey.

Step 3
Stir to combine, then put over a very low heat to infuse for 10 minutes, stirring now and then: it should not simmer or boil at any time.

Step 4
After the 10 minutes, crank up the heat a little.

Step 5
As soon as it begins to simmer, remove from the heat and strain over the chopped chocolate.

Step 6
Scrape and press the lime and vanilla against the sieve to extract all of their flavour, then discard.

Step 7
Add the salt and whisk until you have a smooth ganache.

Step 8
Pour into a shallow container and set aside, uncovered, in a cool place for an hour, then cover and refrigerate until just firm – about two hours.

Step 9
Line an oven tray with baking paper.

Step 10
Remove the ganache from the fridge and, using a teaspoon, scoop out small mounds of truffle (just over 10g per truffle) and put on to the lined tray – don’t worry about shaping them at this stage.

Step 11
Refrigerate the truffles for half an hour to firm up, then hand-roll each mound roughly into a ball.

Step 12
Put back in the fridge until very firm.

Step 13
To coat the truffles, put two thirds of the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over, but not touching, a small saucepan of simmering water.

Step 14
Stir gently to melt the chocolate, remove from the heat, add the rest of the chocolate and stir until smooth.

Step 15
Using two skewers, dip each truffle ball into the melted chocolate, leaving the excess to drip back into the bowl, then put back on the lined baking tray.

Step 16
Leave the chocolate to set a little, then roll in the chopped pistachio nuts or gently dust with cocoa powder.

Step 17
Refrigerate until completely set before packing in gift bags.