Chocolate truffles

Put about two inches of water in a pot and set a medium bowl over it as a double boiler.

Finely chop the semi-sweet chocolate so it melts evenly, and put it in the bowl.

Variation: melt in a microwave at 50% power in 30-second bursts, stirring between.

Add 180 ml heavy cream; optionally flavour with a little coffee, bourbon or spices.

Set over the simmering water on gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until almost all melted; take off the heat and let residual heat melt the rest. Do not let it get too hot.

Finely chop about half a cup of pecans and toast in the oven at 350 for a couple of minutes, stirring halfway because the outside burns first.

Pour the ganache into a small vessel such as a six-inch cake pan or loaf pan and refrigerate one hour, no longer, until it feels like Play-Doh; over-chilled it cannot be rolled.

Variation: fill small silicone molds with some of the ganache and chill one hour, then pop out; half-spheres can be joined into full spheres.

Set up a dipping station with the toasted pecans, cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles and shredded unsweetened coconut.

Quickly roll portions of ganache into balls by hand and roll them in a covering; press the nuts on.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge at least a week, probably two; if they soften on a warm day, return to the fridge.