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Jim D.

Jim D.

I thought I should report on my first attempt to include a cookie in a bonbon. I used Ina Garten's recipe for shortbread cookies, rolling the dough between 1/4 and 1/2" thick and cutting circles about 1" in diameter (the smallest cutter I have); I baked them until they were crisp and just starting to brown. I then created a dark chocolate shell (a deep cavity). I piped in a little salted caramel. On top of that, I piped in almond gianduja, making sure the caramel was totally covered. I left quite a bit of space above the almond. I dropped one of the cookies on top, then covered each with more almond. I capped the bonbons and just finished eating one. It is definitely something I will make again. Because the cookie is surrounded by gianduja, it is still crisp--and should stay crisp--though that is something I will watch. I did not cover the caramel with cocoa butter to keep it from softening the cookie, but that might be necessary if its moisture migrates to the cookie. I made several different thicknesses of cookie. The best ones were the thinnest, so in the future I will cut the individual pieces 1" in diameter and about 1/4" in height, then flatten them a bit so that they will come closer to filling the cavity side to side (this would depend on what diameter your cavities are). I think it's important to pipe the gianduja two times, as otherwise the cookie will probably leave gaps, and it is my understanding that air spaces in bonbons are not good. Final bit of information: I tested the free water activity of the cookie (see earlier in this thread for a warning I had received about this issue), and it was only 0.20. For those unfamiliar with such readings, that is very low.

Jim D.

Jim D.

I thought I should report on my first attempt to include a cookie in a bonbon. I use Ina Garten's recipe for shortbread cookies, rolling the dough between 1/4 and 1/2" thick and cutting circles about 1" in diameter (the smallest cutter I have); I baked them until they were crisp and just starting to brown. I then created a dark chocolate shell (a deep cavity). I piped in a little salted caramel. On top of that, I piped in almond gianduja, making sure the caramel was totally covered. I left quite a bit of space above the almond. I dropped one of the cookies on top, then covered each with more almond. I capped the bonbons and just finished eating one. It is definitely something I will make again. Because the cookie is surrounded by gianduja, it is still crisp--and should stay crisp--though that is something I will watch. I did not cover the caramel with cocoa butter to keep it from softening the cookie, but that might be necessary if its moisture migrates to the cookie. I made several different thicknesses of cookie. The best ones were the thinnest, so in the future I will cut the individual pieces 1", then flatten them a bit so that they will come closer to filling the cavity side to side (this would depend on what diameter your cavities are). I think it's important to pipe the gianduja two times, as otherwise the cookie will probably leave gaps, and it is my understanding that air spaces in bonbons are not good. Final bit of information: I tested the free water activity of the cookie (see earlier in this thread for a warning I had received about this issue), and it was only 0.20. For those unfamiliar with such readings, that is very low.

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