Bonbons are by far my favorite treats and one my husband always brings back from trips. Over the years, I’ve been fascinated with making these myself and have tried many variations and techniques. A tutorial for making bonbons has been on the request lists for a long time. Especially, by those who have enjoyed my tutorials on how to melt chocolate correctly and the many different methods to temper chocolate.
Why make these bonbons?
They are filled with delicious chocolate ganache. I use dark chocolate for the outside shell, so the sweet milk chocolate filling makes an incredible contrast. Today, we are using the seeding method to temper chocolate. I think this is the best method to use when working at home. And with my no-fail method, you will be tempering chocolate just once in the process. So it makes for a very efficient process. I also teach you how to paint the molds with cocoa butter. And while the chocolate looks impressive, the technique is surprisingly easy and simple. In addition, these make perfect gifts to family and friends. So, it is a great way to impress with your chocolate making skills. There are just two components to make these bonbons.The shell – we use tempered coveture dark chocolate Ganache made with milk chocolate and whipping cream. But the options for filling are endless.
Equipment for bonbons
It is worth noting what is the best practice when working with chocolate. For example:
Use plastic or silicone bowls when melting chocolate. Unlike metal and glass, these do not retain heat so the process of tempering chocolate is much quicker. Otherwise, the chocolate takes longer to cool in the warm metal/glass bowls.Molds – I like to use good quality polycarbonate molds because they are easy to use and do not bend. While you can also use silicon molds, being too soft they are not so easy to invert. Single use plastic molds work too but the do not give a good shine as polycarbonate molds. Thermometer – I like to use a stick thermometer, but any chocolate or candy thermometer works just as well. Make sure to clean the part dipped in chocolate before the next reading or you will not get an accurate reading.
Step by step instructions
Frequently asked questions
Troubleshooting
My bonbons has tiny holes? When pouring chocolate into the mold it is necessary to tap the mold several times to remove any air pockets – so don’t be shy, tap tap tap. There is no space for filling in my bonbons – When inverting the chocolate mold remove as much as you can. The thinner the shell the more filling you can add. But, chocolate is delicious too, so don’t make the shells too thin as they break easily. My bonbon molds are cracked – When you invert the mold it is a good idea to tap them several times. But avoid banging too hard, there is no need to ruin good molds. A few taps and the chocolate will be out. Can I eat bonbons with holes? If you have any holes on the finished chocolate these are probably air pockets that escaped despite all the tap tap tap. Don’t worry the chocolates will be still tasty. They make excellent guilt-free for chef’s treats. My bonbons have white specks on them – When chocolate is not stored or tempered properly it can cause the cocoa fat to separate from the rest of the chocolate and cause those white streaks or white or dull spots. You can fix this by tempering the chocolate again.
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