Gingerbread spice chocolate truffles

Weigh the dark chocolate chips into a bowl, then weigh out 60 percent of that weight in cream.

Add the ground ginger, cinnamon, a pinch of black pepper and two shakes of cayenne to the chocolate.

Heat the cream over medium heat only until it just begins to simmer, pour it over the chocolate, swirl, and let it sit for exactly two minutes.

Whisk carefully until it comes together into a thick, glossy ganache, then clean down the sides, cover, and leave at room temperature until firm enough to scoop.

Scoop into portions of about a tablespoon, chill 15 minutes, then roll smooth between dry hands.

Melt a couple cups of chocolate over hot water on the lowest heat, holding back a quarter to a third of a cup, then stir the reserved chips in to seed and temper it.

Dip each truffle, let the excess drip off, set it on the pan and swirl the top with a finger. The fork and spoon method is the neater alternative.

Grate ginger snap over while the coating is still wet.

Leave to dry about an hour until the shell hardens completely; trace around the base with the back of a knife for a clean edge.