anyone?’ Bev was wielding the next prosecco bottle promisingly.
‘I’ll skip this time.’ Em intended taking it steady for now whilst she was teaching and observing how the session was going.
The others were keen for refills.
‘Okay, so next we are going to make the chocolate truffles. There’s a little more technique to this.’ Emma was trying to keep it sounding professional.
‘Oh my, so I need to concentrate,’ Sheila, from the grocer’s, piped up.
‘It’s like being back at school,’ added Jo, with a smile.
‘Hah, school was never this fun!’ Ali grinned.
‘And since when did you ever get served prosecco at school?’ Holly added.
‘Good idea if they did, mind,’ said Jess. ‘Might ease the pain of exams.’
‘You’d never get any work done, girls,’ Sheila retorted sensibly.
Emma went off to fetch more bowls of tempered chocolate for the truffle-making session, to which they would add cream and their chosen liqueur. The mixture would then need to be chilled in the fridge for at least an hour before being moulded into small balls and dipped into even more chocolate to coat. Chloe offered to give her a hand.
‘Seems to be going well. It’s a really lovely idea, Em,’ she said, once the pair of them were in the kitchen.
‘Yeah, fingers crossed. Even if I could only do one or two a month to start, that’d be good.’
‘Well, I’ll help spread the word. There are lots of mums at the school gates, desperate for a night out. And this would be right up their street.’
‘Thanks.’
They were soon back out carrying bowls of melted dark chocolate.
‘Right, I’m going in with the Baileys liqueur.’ Laura took the bottle of Irish Cream in readiness.
‘I fancy the whisky,’ piped up Ali.
‘Ho ho ho, and a bottle of rum for me, then.’ Holly took up the last bottle. ‘We can share, Jess.’
‘You only need a tablespoon for your mixture. So it’ll go a long way.’ Em was passing out the small dishes of melted chocolate – one for each person. ‘Don’t add the alcohol just yet, by the way. There’s another step to do first.’
‘Em, do you have any of that raspberry gin left?’ Bev asked as the hostess-with-the-mostest reached her. ‘You remember, we opened it at New Year.’
‘I do remember, and yes, there’s still half a bottle upstairs. Mmm, raspberry gin truffles, you might be on to something there, Bev.’
‘I know. I have a taste for this stuff. My taste buds are the equivalent of Jo Malone’s nose!’
The whole group creased with laughter at that point.
‘Just saying.’ Bev sounded slightly put out.
‘I’ll just nip up and fetch it.’ With that, Em dashed up the stairs. She couldn’t be long, or all the chocolate would start cooling. Kitchen cupboard, there it was. Result. She was back down in two ticks.
‘Okay ladies, watch and learn. We all have a bowl of melted dark chocolate each and next I’ll bring through the hot cream to mix. So, wooden spoons at the ready.’ She poured a little into each bowl, judging the right amount instinctively. ‘Don’t worry, you can all have the recipe sheet to take home, so you don’t need to remember all this. Okay, so now to add your chosen liqueur – just a tablespoon is enough – and stir through again.’
‘This is fun.’
‘Smells divine.’
‘When can we lick the bowls?’ Laura, from the hotel, asked cheekily.
‘Hold fire on that. The mix needs to set in the bowls so we can handle it later to mould into truffles.’
‘Darn.’
‘Spoilsport.’
‘Going to have to test a little on my fingertip then, if that’s the case,’ said Laura.
‘Don’t panic, folks, you can have the chocolate strawberries you made earlier while you wait,’ added Em.
‘And I suppose another glass of prosecco might help,’ Bev said, grinning. There were still plenty of supplies, after all, as everyone who had come along had brought a bottle.
‘Come on, then, let’s have a brainstorm while you’re all here. I’m always looking for new ideas for flavours for the shop; any suggestions for some new chocolates?’ Emma was keen to hear their thoughts. ‘And I promise I’ll make the best suggestions a reality.’
‘Ooh, now then …’
‘Gin and Tonic.’ Jo started the ball rolling.
‘Toffee vodka.’
‘Whisky and orange,’ added Chloe’s friend, Hannah.
‘Hah, they don’t have to all be alcoholic, mind. But what else can I expect with you lot!’
‘Ginger beer,’ came from Holly.
They all pulled a face.
‘What? I love ginger beer.’
‘Porn star martini,’ called out Bev.
‘Sex on the beach.’ Ali.
‘Now we’re talking,’ Jo rallied. ‘What’s that other one? Long slow screw up against the—’
‘Okay, enough, enough. I think we’ll stop the brainstorming now. You lot have one-track minds. I’d have to have an adult section in the shop with a black curtain over it at this rate.’
‘Ha ha, yes, an obscured section in the refrigerated counter for X-rated chocolates. Hilarious! How can I help you, madam?’ Bev winked.
‘We could have chocolate willies,’ Holly joined in. ‘We had them at Ellen’s hen do. They were brilliant.’
‘Oh, just imagine handling those.’ Jess pulled a face. ‘Were they life-sized?’
‘Nooo!’
‘We are not that kind of an establishment.’ Emma tried to keep a snooty voice going but ended up in a fit of the giggles. She should have realised a brainstorming session with her girlfriends after several bottles of prosecco may not have been the best idea.
The group chatted on about love, life and the latest village gossip, and it was soon time to do the next stage of the truffle-making. There was white and milk chocolate to coat, once the truffle centres had been rolled into little balls. This was the messy bit, and the girls had a hoot at this stage. There was much
