Spring was fighting to come out this year. Winter didn’t make it
easy but Spring is finally in full bloom. My garden is coming to life, proof
that Spring is really here. I have 4 varieties of potatoes, in addition to asparagus, arugula, parsley, cilantro, and other seedlings ready
for transplant. I love to spend hours on end in the garden planning for the
days and months ahead.
I've been busy in the kitchen, too. In the
midst of finishing wedding cakes and special desserts, I made an array of
chocolate bonbons: lemon filled (layers of lemon curd and lemon milk
chocolate ganache); dark chocolate Sicilian pistachio ganache; and milk
chocolate espresso ganache. I can't pick a favorite as they are each exquisite
and decadent in their own way. The lemon curd and lemon milk chocolate are
refreshing, while the milk chocolate espresso ganache has a little zip. The
dark chocolate Sicilian pistachio bonbons are a nice combination of salty and
chocolate. You can't go wrong with any of these.
If you'd like to see my tutorial, check
out my YouTube video on making bonbons:
You will need the following for the bon
bons:
Tempered white chocolate for the white
chocolate shell
Tempered dark chocolate for the dark
chocolate shell
Proceed to make all the shells first so
they set at room temperature. (Make sure you are working in a cool kitchen not
hotter than 72°F). Here is my YouTube video on tempering chocolate using the seeding
method:
Lemon Bonbons
White Chocolate Shell
Lemon Curd
Ganache
For the Lemon Curd:
1/2 Cup (100 grams) Sugar
Zest of 3 Lemons
1/3 Cup +1 TBSP (90 grams) Lemon juice
(from lemons)
3 eggs
3/4 Tsp (5 grams) Gelatin powder
12 TBSP (180 grams) Butter, softened
1. In a small bowl, place 3 TBSP water.
Sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly over the water. Let it rest for 5 minutes
until it congeals.
2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, lemon
zest, lemon juice, and eggs in a bowl. Transfer the mixture to a heavy
saucepan. Over low heat, whisk the lemon curd and bring to a simmer.
3. As soon as the mixture simmers, it will
start to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin and softened
butter. Whisk the curd until it is well emulsified.
4. Pour the lemon curd through a strainer
into a bowl. Let the curd cool slightly, and cover with plastic wrap so it
doesn't create a skin. Let it continue to cool down to room temperature.
For the Ganache:
1/4 Cup + 3 TBSP (100 grams) Heavy cream
1 1/2 Cups (250 grams) Milk chocolate
150 gm Lemon curd (Approximately 1/3 of
Lemon curd from recipe above)
1. Place chopped milk chocolate into a
large bowl. Set aside.
2. Pour the heavy cream into a heavy
saucepan. Bring the cream to a boil over low to medium heat. Remove from heat and
pour carefully over chopped milk chocolate. Let it rest undisturbed for 1
minute.
3. After it rests, whisk the mixture
slowly. Start in the middle of the bowl and slowly incorporate more of the
chocolate into the heavy cream. Continue whisking slowly until it
emulsifies.
4. Add the curd to the ganache and fold in
until it is mixed well.
Assemble the Bonbons:
1. Temper white chocolate
2. Put a #3 plain tip into a pastry bag.
Fill the pastry bag halfway with the lemon curd. Pipe half the shell with the
lemon curd.
3. Put a #4 plain tip into a pastry bag.
Fill this pastry bag halfway with ganache, and fill the bonbon almost to the
top.
4. Seal the bonbons with the tempered
white chocolate per the instructions in the Bonbon video. Set the molds in the
refrigerator for 15 minutes.
5. Turn the bonbons out of the mold, being
careful not to break them.
Pistachio Bonbons
Tempered dark chocolate
Pistachio ganache
For the pistachio ganache
1 1/2 Cups (250 grams) Milk chocolate
1 1/2 Teaspoons (10 grams) Honey
Pinch salt
1/4 Cup + 3 TBSP (100 grams) Heavy cream
1/2 Cup (150 grams) Sicilian pistachio
paste.
1. Place chopped milk chocolate, honey,
and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Pour the heavy cream into a heavy
saucepan. Bring the cream to a boil over low to medium heat. Remove from heat
and pour carefully over chopped milk chocolate. Let it rest undisturbed
for 1 minute.
3. After it rests, whisk the mixture
slowly. Start in the middle of the bowl and slowly incorporate more of the
chocolate into the heavy cream. Continue whisking slowly until it
emulsifies.
4. Add the pistachio paste to the ganache
and fold in until it is mixed well.
Espresso Bonbons
Tempered dark chocolate
Espresso ganache
For the Espresso ganache:
1/4 Cup plus + 3 TBSP (150 grams) Heavy
cream
1 1/2 Tsp (10 grams) Honey
Pinch salt
1 1/2 Cup (250 grams) Milk chocolate
1/4 Cup (50 grams) Espresso coffee, brewed
1. Place chopped milk chocolate, honey,
and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Pour the heavy cream into a heavy
saucepan. Bring the cream to a boil over low to medium heat. Remove from heat
and pour carefully over chopped milk chocolate. Let it rest undisturbed
for 1 minute.
3. After it rests, whisk the mixture slowly.
Start in the middle of the bowl and slowly incorporate more of the chocolate
into the heavy cream. Continue whisking slowly until it emulsifies.
4. Add the espresso coffee to the ganache
and whisk together until it is mixed well.
Assemble bonbons as above for the lemon
bonbons, filling a pastry bag fitted with #3 tip halfway with pistachio
ganache. Fill prepared bonbon shells nearly to the top with either pistachio or espresso
ganache. Seal bonbons with tempered dark chocolate, cool for 10-15 minutes until
they set, and gently turn out onto a clean surface.
Enjoy!
