Boozy Caramel Bonbons Recipe

For Valentine's Day this year, I won't be handing my money over to Hallmark or Hershey's or even Jacques Torres. Instead, I've invested in a gift for myself that will keep on giving to others for years to come: an acrylic bonbon mold and some high-quality, couverture dark chocolate. With these items, I can create chocolate bonbons custom-made to suit my sweetheart's (or my own) tastes.

The great thing about making your own bonbons is that, with a little practice, you can get a finished product that looks absolutely stunning. Properly tempered chocolate, poured into a prepared mold will always yield pieces that are smooth and shiny, like the ones in the glass cases at chocolate shops. But unlike at a chocolate shop, when you make your own bonbons, you have complete control of the flavors and textures within.

Which brings me to the fun part; when you dream in bonbon fillings, the only limit is your own imagination. You can choose buttercream flavored any way you'd like. Or white, milk, or dark chocolate ganache made with cream that's been steeped in herbs, spices, or zest. Nougat, marshmallow, jam... the mind boggles with all the possibilities. My personal favorite is caramel, which can be flavored in a variety of ways (vanilla bean, salt, zest, extracts) and runs a little bit when you bite into it. You can add a little chunk of something as well: a sprinkle of sea salt, a nut, or a bit of candied peel or crispy rice.

An Overview of Making Bonbons

• Use couverture chocolate, which contains a higher quantity of cocoa butter, and gives molded chocolate a great shine and snap.
• Temper the chocolate properly to avoid getting streaky white marks on the bonbons.
• Gently warm the molds before pouring the chocolate to avoid having cracks or air pockets on the bonbons.
• Always store chocolate in a cool dry place.

And avoid...

• Getting even a drop of water in the chocolate you are tempering.
• Piping the filling to the top of the bonbon shells; it will make them difficult to seal.
• Leaving the molds in the fridge for more than a few minutes at a time.

DIY Details for Immaculate Bonbons

Keep EVERYTHING Dry

Water is chocolate's mortal enemy (even a little water in melted chocolate will cause it to seize up and be unusable for bonbon shells), so as you go about working, be sure that all of your tools, containers, and molds are completely dry. Melting the chocolate over hot water to temper it does place the chocolate in peril, so be sure to place a towel under bowls that have been set over water or steam.

Use Cocoa Butter for Decoration

If you would like to add designs to the surface of the bonbon, you must use colored cocoa butter, which comes in its solid state in a bottle. To use, place in a pot of water that has been brought to a boil (shut the burner off first), and allow the cocoa butter to melt. Shake the bottle periodically to help the process along.

If using cocoa butter, remember that it is important to use a very thin layer to avoid having bonbons that appear chipped with patchy dull spots. Once you've painted the design onto the mold, place the mold in the fridge for several minutes to allow the cocoa butter to set.

Tempering Is Critical

To give the bonbon shells a shiny, smooth, appearance and a snappy texture, tempering is vitally important. This tutorial on tempering chocolate explains it perfectly.

Preparing and Filling the Bonbon Molds

Once the chocolate is tempered, quickly warm the mold by waving it over a lit stove or placing it in the oven for a minute (watch carefully, depending on the material from which the mold is made, it may melt). Then, pour tempered chocolate into each one of the cavities in the mold.

Allow the chocolate to sit in the cavities for 10 seconds, then flip the mold over and allow the excess to drip off into the bowl.

Then, tap the edge of the mold to release even more of the excess chocolate. The aim is to have a shell that is thin, but solid enough to support whatever goes inside.

Use a metal scraper to scrape off the excess chocolate from the surface of the mold. My favorite tool for chocolate is a metal paint scraper, which I bought at the hardware store.

Make sure to level the top, which will make it easier to seal the chocolates later in the process. Place the mold into the fridge for 2-3 minutes to help the shells set (do not leave the mold in for a prolonged period of time, which will expose it to moisture).

Filling the Bonbons

If you would like a solid component inside your bonbon, like a sprinkle of sea salt or a hazelnut, add it first, for easier filling. In this photo, I am sprinkling some sea salt into the shells.

Using a piping bag fitted with a fine tip or a piece of parchment rolled into a cone, pipe the bonbon filling into each shell, being very careful to fill it a few millimeters below the edge of the mold. Overfilling will cause the bonbons to leak filling.

Unmolding the Bonbons

To release the hardened chocolate, flex the molds slightly. Turn the mold over onto a clean, dry rsurface, Remove them from the surface, then bang the mold against the counter to release any stubborn bonbons.