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Lime Truffles and Ocean Breezes
In A Shot in the 80% Dark, Felicity is creating a chocolate sculpture of a giant boat, to celebrate the maritime history of Galveston, Texas, the island where the books are set. To go with the maritime theme, she creates a set of bonbons with flavors the project has inspired. There are hints of pirate history, and the museum’s mouthy cockatoo, which puts her in the mind of coconut, lime and ginger. They make her think of a tropical drink, and she imagines that the bonbons will transport visitors at the museum’s gala, where the sculpture will be unveiled, into the world of the sculpture. Of course, since it’s a murder mystery, there’s a snag, and one of the artists who has been helping Felicity construct the sculpture winds up dead. She has to solve the mystery before she can actually share her bon-bons.
I love the fact that throughout this book series, I have been able to write about many of my favorite things about Galveston. Sometimes it is just the simplest things: like being on the beach, enjoying ocean breezes. And in my daydreams, this truffle transports me there.
The version of this recipe in the book is fairly complicated. Felicity is layering lime curd with a white chocolate coconut ganache and a dark chocolate ginger ganache, inside shells created using polycarbonate molds. Here, I’ve simplified the recipe, combining all three flavors into a ganache that is firm enough to roll into a truffle, so that it doesn’t require any special equipment. If you prefer a non-alcoholic truffle, feel free to omit the rum and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.
1 c. heavy cream
5 Tbsp. lime curd
2 Tbsp. chopped crystalized ginger
¼ c. rum
1 tsp. lime zest
2 Tbsp. coconut powder
1 lb. dark chocolate, chopped
Sweetened Flaked coconut, for rolling
Place the cream in a medium pot and heat over medium-low until the cream starts to steam.
Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the cream over it, and allow it to sit for several minutes, until the chocolate starts to melt. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
Place the lime curd, crystalized ginger, rum, lime zest and coconut powder in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Process until as smooth as possible. Pour the mixture over the chocolate/cream mixture and whisk until evenly combined. Place the ganache in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Roll the ganache mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into the flaked coconut.
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Place the ganache in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Roll the ganache mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into the coconut until evenly coated.
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About the book
Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop thriving. Despite everything she’s been through with the murders she’s helped solve, Felicity is ready to take on new challenges. So when a local museum offers her a contract to create a chocolate replica of a gigantic sailing ship sculpture for a gala celebrating Galveston’s history, she jumps at the chance to combine chocolate-crafting with art.
The project is fun – right up until there’s not just one but two dead artists on the scene, and Felicity has to change gears back to detective. Logan, Felicity’s business partner and previous bodyguard, and Arlo, Felicity’s ex who is now the cop investigating the case, are split on which victim they think was actually the intended one. Felicity may have to take some chances, both emotionally and in luring out a killer, to determine the truth.
Can she find out how Galveston’s history relates to the murders, unmask a killer, and prepare 2,000 chocolate desserts for the gala all at the same time?
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