Chef's Selection Of Three Bon Bons Recipe

Make hazelnut filling

Chop 120 g hazelnut praline paste if very firm and warm gently in a double boiler until soft (55–60°C). Add 20 g unsalted butter and stir to combine into a smooth, pipeable paste. If too thick, add 1 tsp neutral oil. Let cool slightly but keep warm enough to pipe.

Melt 300 g dark chocolate for use in shells or decoration: temper the chocolate using your preferred method (seeding or tabling) to about 31–32°C for dark. Reserve approximately 160–200 g tempered chocolate for shells and the remainder for decoration/assembly.

Form shells: Working with tempered dark chocolate and a clean, dry 24-cavity mold, pour chocolate into cavities to coat fully. Tap to remove air bubbles and invert mold over bowl to pour out excess chocolate, leaving a thin even shell. Scrape the top edge clean with a palette knife. Chill the mold 5–8 minutes in the refrigerator (not freezer) until shells set but not fully contracted.

Fill shells: Pipe or spoon the hazelnut filling into each shell, leaving about 4–5 mm clearance at the top for sealing. Press one toasted hazelnut into the center of each filled shell if desired so it sits just below the rim.

Seal shells: Re-temper or warm a small amount of reserved dark chocolate to 31–32°C if needed, then pour or pipe to seal each cavity. Scrape the top smooth, then chill 10–15 minutes until fully set. Unmold carefully.

Finish: Dust lightly with cocoa powder or brush a little tempered chocolate streak for shine. Store in a cool dry place (16–18°C) up to 7 days or refrigerate in an airtight box up to 2 weeks (bring to room temperature before serving).

Make salted caramel

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 120 g granulated sugar over medium heat without stirring, gently swirling the pan until it melts and turns an amber color. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

When the sugar is amber, remove from heat and carefully whisk in 80 ml hot heavy cream (warm the cream first to reduce splatter). Add 30 g unsalted butter and 1 tbsp corn syrup, whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp sea salt flakes. Return briefly to low heat if needed for integration. Let cool to approx. 35–40°C — it should be pourable but thicker than syrup.

Temper 300 g milk chocolate to 30–31°C for shells. Use tempered milk chocolate to make shells in the same manner as for the dark chocolate shells (pour, tap, invert, chill briefly). Reserve some tempered milk chocolate to seal.

Fill shells: Spoon or pipe a small amount of caramel into each cavity, leaving 4–5 mm clearance for sealing. Allow the caramel to set slightly (5–10 minutes) but not harden completely so it bonds to the shell when sealed.

Seal each cavity with reserved tempered milk chocolate, smooth, then chill 10–15 minutes until fully set. Unmold and sprinkle a tiny pinch of fine sea salt on top of each bon bon before the chocolate fully sets for a pretty finish.

Store in a cool dry place (16–18°C) up to 7 days or refrigerate airtight up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving so caramel is soft.

Make citrus ganache

Chop 300 g white chocolate finely into a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 90 ml heavy cream with 1 tbsp orange zest until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat, cover and steep 8–10 minutes to extract citrus flavor, then reheat gently to simmering and pour over the white chocolate. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add 15 g unsalted butter, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp liqueur (if using). Stir to combine. Strain the ganache through a fine sieve to remove zest pieces if you want a smooth texture. Cool to about 25–28°C — thick but still pipeable.

Temper white chocolate for shells to about 28–29°C (white chocolate has lower temper). Use the same shell-forming method with the tempered white chocolate in the remaining cavities, leaving room for filling. Reserve some tempered white chocolate for sealing.

Pipe the cooled, strain ganache into the shells, leaving 4–5 mm headspace for the seal. If the ganache is too loose, cool slightly until pipeable but not hard.

Seal: Use reserved tempered white chocolate to close each cavity, smooth and chill 10–15 minutes. Unmold gently.

Finish: If desired, brush a tiny streak of colored cocoa butter or sprinkle a few micro-drops of melted contrasting chocolate over the tops for an artistic look. Store in a cool dry place up to 7 days or refrigerate airtight up to 2 weeks.

Tempering overview: Tempering is required for glossy, crisp shells that release cleanly. Use seeding (melt, cool with chopped tempered chocolate) or microwave/tabling methods. Target temps — dark: 31–32°C, milk: 30–31°C, white: 28–29°C. Keep work surface and tools dry and free of water.

Mold care & filling order: Work with one chocolate type at a time to avoid cross-contamination. Make shells, then prepare fillings while shells are cooling to allow efficient workflow. Always leave 4–5 mm headspace when filling to ensure a good seal.

Unmolding & storage: Allow bon bons to come to room temperature before unmolding if refrigerated to avoid condensation. Store in layers separated by parchment in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Best consumed within 7–14 days depending on filling stability.