Pistachio and Basil White Chocolate Truffles

Preparation time :	30 minutes, plus cooling
Total time :	1 hour 30 minutes

Makes: about 24

Ingredients

250g white chocolate, broken, plus extra for coating (optional)
100g shelled pistachio nuts
125ml double cream
1 pack basil, leaves only

Method

1. Put the chocolate into a bowl and melt over a pan of just simmering water. Meanwhile, chop the pistachios in a food processor. Leave them quite rough - if you over-process they will become oily.
2. In a small pan, warm the cream very gently, to finger temperature, then add the basil leaves. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a blender and purée.
3. Strain the basil cream through a sieve into the melted chocolate and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in half the chopped pistachios. Leave the mixture to cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge for about an hour until firm enough to shape.
4. Spread the remaining chopped pistachios on a plate. Use a teaspoon to scoop out nuggets of the chocolate mixture, drop on to the nuts and roll lightly into balls. Alternatively, you can leave the truffles in quite rough shapes and just dust with nuts. You can also coat some of the truffles in very finely grated white chocolate for a contrasting finish. Keep the truffles in the fridge, but return to room temperature before eating.