Bonbon Filling Ideas

[prashamk]

Hi,

 

This is my first thread on this forum so please forgive me if I am breaking any of the forum rules.

 

Like many other members, I too am fascinated by the brilliant looking Bon Bons. I tried colouring cocoa butter with liquid as well as solid colours but it didn't give desired result and finally I've ordered ready to use coloured cocoa butter. 

 

Now that I've taken care of it, I wish to know what all can be filled inside the Bon Bon? I fill my regular chocolates with various things like ganache, peanut butter, coconut, dried nuts and other stuff but I feel those are cheaper/simpler things which may not suit the expensive Bon Bons. I'd be glad if the experts can also point me to the recipe of the things they suggest.

 

Regards

Prasham 

[Jim D.]

I would suggest that you obtain Peter Greweling's Chocolates and Confections and/or Ewald Notter's Art of the Chocolatier. Both have lots of recipes as well as basic discussion of the various fillings available to the chocolatier, shelf life, problems and how to fix them, etc. In addition, this eGullet thread and this one will give you lots of ideas. There are many other helpful posts on eGullet in various threads when you have time to browse.

[pastrygirl]

Usually bonbons are filled with ganache.  If you want to get fancy other than decorating with colors, you can try layers.  Two different ganaches, or one ganache plus one caramel, pate de fruits,  marshmallow, or gianduja. 

 

To color your own cocoa butter, you need fat-soluble dry powder colors.  Some people here use them, I still opt for convenience and buy the pre-made colored cocoa butters.

[Merry Berry]

I like to tell my students to think more along the lines of what flavors you CANNOT put in chocolate making.  Sky is the limit to be quite honest.  Ganache, buttercreams, curds, caramels, mushrooms, liqueurs, fondants, and many, many more.  Have fun with it.  You cannot go wrong with those books and there are many recipes I have utilized on this site and others.  Start simple if you are unfamiliar with the process and go from there.

 

[Louise nadine brill]

If anybody has a recipe for marshmallow that can be cleanly piped into a shell without getting stick to everything and driving you crazy - please share! I make marshmallows a fair bit, plus nougat etc. I am no stranger to the stickiness of it all - So, when i see these cut bonbons revealing perfectly airy marshmallow layers i just think “BUBBBUT...HOW?!”

[Jim D.]

8 hours ago, Louise nadine brill said:

If anybody has a recipe for marshmallow that can be cleanly piped into a shell without getting stick to everything and driving you crazy - please share! I make marshmallows a fair bit, plus nougat etc. I am no stranger to the stickiness of it all - So, when i see these cut bonbons revealing perfectly airy marshmallow layers i just think “BUBBBUT...HOW?!”

 

Take a look at this thread, which includes my adaptation of the strawberry marshmallow recipe posted previously on eGullet. Keeping it pipeable depends on temperatures and the time you beat the marshmallow before piping it. If you beat it to the regular consistency for standalone marshmallow, you will go crazy trying to get it into a pastry bag. A recent trick I have learned to get the temperature down to the point that the marshmallow can be piped without melting the chocolate shell (and keep it from getting too thick as you wait for it to cool) is to put some ice in a bag and hold it against the side of the stand mixer as you beat the marshmallow. All that being said, piping marshmallow into a chocolate shell is a messy job.