Bonbon Filling Recipes

BONBONS

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine margarine, confectioners' sugar, condensed milk, coconut, chopped walnuts and vanilla. Stir well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until mixture has thickened enough to roll into balls. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place close together, but not touching, on cookie sheets. Freeze until hard.
• While bonbons are freezing, line a cookie sheet or flat surface with waxed paper. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in the top of a double boiler, over, not in, simmering water. Stir until melted. Using a toothpick or a fork, dip each bonbon in the melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper to dry. When chocolate has hardened, store bonbons in plastic bag in the freezer.

GANACHE, SOFT FILLING FOR CHOCOLATES ETC...

Steps:

• To make chocolate cases: melt 200g ( 7 oz) chocolate over a pan of warm water, do not overheat, when three quarters of it is melted, remove from heat and stir vigorously, this should distribute the heat and melt the remaining chocolate without it getting too hot and going "grainy".
• Take a small teaspoon of melted chocolate and " paint" the inside of your mini muffin paper or the insides of your silicone ice block forms. If coverage is a bit skimpy don't panic. these set in the fridge in minutes and a second coat is easier and works better than trying to get one very thick coat. Put them in the fridge to harden. Reserve enough of your chocolate to cover the bottom of your forms once they have been filled with the ganache filling.
• Put butter and cream in a saucepan and bring to boil, stirring all the time.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate and liqueur.
• Stir well until smooth (heat of mixture will melt chocolate) leave to cool a little, then let cool.
• Use as soft filling for chocolates and tartes.
• This does thicken up over time, and good chocolate is never refrigerated, just kept in a cool dry place. If these are refrigerated the filling gets very firm over time.
• By now your ganache filling mixture should be cool enough to put into the chocolate cases, using a piping bag or a teaspoon, fill them with the ganache, (but not quite to the very top of the chocolate case) Then put them back into the fridge for a while, and once set a little solid, put a "top" of melted chocolate on them to seal them closed and refrigerate until the top too is solid. I like to keep these in the fridge for a least a few hours or somewhere nice and cool overnight before I try and get them out of the forms.
• If using mini muffin papers, peel away the papers from the chocolates (this can be fiddly, don't press too hard as you peel them or your chocolate will break), If using the silicone ice cube forms, GENTLY easy the chocolates out of the forms, they will just pop out -- plate up and amaze your guests with these divine triumphs !

CHEWY SALTED CARAMEL AND HAZELNUT GANACHE BON BONS

Steps:

• In a 1-quart saucepan, mix together 1/4 cup water and the sugar. Place over medium heat and be sure to clean the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, to avoid causing sugar crystals, which will affect the final caramel.
• Heat up the cream either in a small saucepan or in the microwave in a microwave-safe container. Once the caramel turns a light amber color, slowly pour in the hot cream. Add the butter and salt, and stir until the butter melts. Once everything is incorporated, cook until a candy thermometer reads 120 degrees F. Pour the caramel over the white chocolate. The heat of the caramel will melt the chocolate. Pipe the caramel when it's hot into silicon molds. Then refrigerate and freeze before you place these on the Hazelnut Chocolate Ganache.
• Pop the frozen caramel right on top of the Hazelnut Chocolate Ganache coins while they're still warm. Sprinkle with the crisp pearls. You are now ready to dip into chocolate.
• To finish the bon bons, melt and temper the chocolate. Dip the caramels in the chocolate and let sit until chocolate sets.
• In a small 1-quart saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Meanwhile partially melt the chocolate and when the cream comes to a boil, pour this over the chocolate. Before you start to mix, add the praline and the corn syrup. Gently mix until the mixture is homogenous. Let mixture cool until it thickens; it will be easy to pipe out of a disposable pastry bag. Pipe into discs, the size of a quarter.

BUTTERCREAM BONBONS

Steps:

• Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until smooth.
• Add vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.
• Reduce speed to low. While beating at low speed, gradually add powdered sugar until well mixed. (If mixture is too soft, cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to form balls.).
• Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover loosely; refrigerate until firm (2 hours, or overnight if preferred).
• Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (3 to 4 minutes).
• Insert a toothpick into a buttercream bon bon. Holding the toohpick, dip the bon bon into the melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip back into saucepan.
• Place chocolate-covered bon bon on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, and remove the toothpick. Repeat until all the bon bons are coated with melted chocolate.
• Place the sheet of bon bons in the refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until the chocolate is firm.
• Place bon bons in an air-tight container, with a sheet of waxed paper between the layers to keep the bon bons from sticking to one another. Store container in refrigerator (or in the freezer for up to 2 months) until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE CREAM BONBONS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, pecans, milk and butter. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate overnight., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. (If balls are too soft to dip, freezer until firm, 3-5 minutes.)

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY GALAXY BONBONS

Steps:

• Before you start anything, make sure to CLEAN YOUR MOLDS! Polycarbonate molds work best to make the shiniest bonbons, but you have to temper your chocoalte and cocoa butter correctly. If your chocolate isn't tempered, the bonbons won't come out of the mold.
• Pour the raspberry puree into a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and NH Pectin together.
• Bring the raspberry puree to a boil, then slowly whisk in the sugar and pectin together. Mix thoroughly to ensure you do not have any lumps.
• Boil for a few minutes to activate the NH Pectin (this will allow the raspberry puree to solidify and be ready to use in our bonbons).
• Turn off the heat and transfer the filling to a separate container.
• Put a sheet of plastic wrap on top so it's touching the surface and cool completely to room temperature.
• Add your chocolate to a heat-safe container.
• Heat up the glucose in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
• Add the heavy whipping cream and glucose into a sauce pan.
• Bring it to a simmer over medium heat (stirring occasionally). Be careful not to boil or burn the cream.
• Carefully pour the hot mixture over your chocolate. Mix together.
• Add in your butter in chunks.
• Use an immersion blender to mix the butter with the ganache. Hold the immersion blender at a slight angle under the surface of the ganache to blend. Do not incorporate any air.
• Fill a large piping bag with your ganache filling and twist the top closed so the filling doesn't spill out.
• Cool the ganache in the piping bag to below 86ºF (30ºC). Pro-Tip: place your piping bag onto the counter to cool the ganache faster.
• Melt the cocoa butter and white chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments to prevent burning.
• Bring the temperature down to 91ºF (33ºC) and add 1% of cocoa butter paste (See Christophe's tempering chocolate recipe) to temper the cocoa butter. This will make the bonbons shinier!
• Cool the cocoa butter down to 86ºF (30ºC).
• To color your own cocoa butter, stir in your cocoa butter flowers. Using Power Flowers is a great way to get really vibrant chocolate colors. (Our raspberry color- red 4 pieces of red, 4 pieces of white.) (Our purple color- 1 1/4 red, 3/4 blue, and 2 1/2 white)
• Store this cocoa butter mixture at 86ºF (30ºC) until you're ready to use it. (it is not needed but you can easily achieve this using a Waring Chocolate Warmer.)
• Repeat this process for any additional colors you want to use to create your galaxy bonbons.
• For the black cocoa butter, I prefer the pre-made "Abyss" from Chef Rubber. Make sure to temper it by adding 1% of cocoa butter paste at 91ºF (33ºC) and cooling to 86ºF (30ºC) as well.
• Pour the colored cocoa butters into new bowls over a cheese cloth which will strain any lumps and gritty pieces to give you smooth, cocoa butters that are ready to create chocolate bonbon shells!

BOOZY CARAMEL BONBONS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup and stir. Wash down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in clean water, then place over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes, at which point the mixture will begin to darken. Swirl the pot to even out the caramelization, and allow the caramel to turn deep amber. Then, stand back and slowly add the cream (the mixture will sputter, rise in the pot, and spit; be very careful) and turn off the heat. Once it is safe, whisk in the heavy cream, until smooth. Whisk in the butter until it melts completely. Whisk in the vanilla seeds, booze, and salt and allow the mixture to cool completely.
• Chop the chocolate into very small pieces and divide the chocolate evenly into one very large bowl and one small bowl (the large bowl is the bowl that you will melt the chocolate in, the small one contains the "seed" chocolate for tempering). Set a pot of water to boil on the stove. When the water is boiling, turn off the heat and place the large bowl of chocolate over the water. Temper the chocolate (for a full tutorial, click here ) by stirring to bring to chocolate to 115°F. Then, begin adding the reserved chocolate a little at a time and vigorously stirring the mixture, without stopping. Continue to add the reserved seed chocolate and agitating until the chocolate comes down to 90°F. The chocolate is now tempered. Check to be sure that there are no solid pieces of chocolate left in the bowl.
• Wave the mold over a flame on the stove or place it in a warm oven for just a moment to warm it up slightly (this will help the chocolate flow over it, rather than seizing up immediately when it hits the mold, which prevents air bubbles from forming). Then pour the chocolate into each of the cavities in the mold. Allow it to stand for 10 seconds, then invert the mold over the bowl, allowing the excess chocolate to run off. Tap the mold to shake out additional excess, then turn the mold back over. With a flexible metal scraper, scrape over the top, cleaning off any excess chocolate on the sides. Place the mold in the fridge for 2-3 minutes, then remove.
• Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt into each of the shells. Using a piping bag fitted with a small tip or a cone of parchment, pipe the cooled caramel into the shells, stopping a 3-4 millimeters below the edge (it's very important to leave room, otherwise the chocolates will not seal). Ensure that the chocolate is still tempered (if it is not, you will need to bring it back to 115°F once again, then down to 90°F, otherwise, your bonbons will be streaky on the bottom). Pipe or pour chocolate over the tops of each bonbon. Scrape the top clean to create a seal, then place the mold in the fridge for 2-3 minutes and remove. Twist the mold to release the chocolates, then turn it upside down and tap them out of the mold. Clear the work surface of bonbons, and pound the mold against the counter to release any stragglers. Store the chocolates in a cool, dry place.