200gramswhite chocolate melting wafersto coat the truffles, I use and highly recommend Ghirardelli melting wafers
1/4cuptoasted and crushed almondsto sprinkle
edible gold leavesto decorate
Instructions
To make the sugar mixture, add milk and water to a pan on medium heat and then add sugar to it. Stir and let the sugar dissolve. Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is heated up (there's no need to boil it), remove the pan from heat.
In another small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of milk and add a few crushed saffron strands to it. Remove the pan from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes for the flavors and color to develop.
To make the halwa, take a wide pan and add 2 of tablespoons ghee to it. Once the ghee melts, add almond flour to it and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on low-medium heat.
Then add the prepared sugar mixture to the pan. Be careful as it will splatter a lot when you add it to the pan, so add in parts and slowly. Stir until it is all combined. Also add the saffron milk and mix.
Continue to stir the halwa, after about 5 minutes of stirring add the cardamom powder and remaining tablespoon of ghee and continue to stir. The halwa thickens and leaves the sides of the pan after about 8 to 9 minutes of cooking. This time can vary depending on the thickness of the pan and the intensity of the heat.
Transfer halwa to a bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Once the halwa has chilled, make small balls out of the mixture. I used a mini cookie scoop for it. Each balls weighed around 15 to 17 grams and I got 20 balls out of it. Put the prepared truffles into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes while you melt the chocolate.
Melt the white chocolate melting wafers according to instructions on the package. I used the double boiler method to melt them, but you can also melt in the microwave.
Dip the prepared halwa truffle into the melted chocolate using a candy dipping tool (if you have one or else use 2 forks). Once the truffle is coated from all sides, shake off the excess and transfer to a sheet lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle toasted almonds on top and decorate with edible gold leaves (if you like). Make all the truffles similarly.
Notes
I have used less sugar in the halwa because we coated them with chocolate later. White chocolate is anyway quite sweet so if you wish to keep the sweetness even less, you can reduce the sugar in the halwa to 1/4 cup.
These badam halwa truffles can also be dipped in milk or dark chocolate. I thought white chocolate went well here and so I dipped these in white chocolate but you can also dip them in milk or dark chocolate if that's what you prefer.
Do not use almond meal for this recipe. It will not give smooth truffles. I highly recommend using fine almond flour only.
Use melting wafers only for dipping. If using real chocolate, you will need to temper it first.