Life is too short for boring chocolate. Experience the luscious combination of tangy ganache and rich white chocolate in every bite of these handcrafted bonbons. These raspberry ganache white chocolate bonbons are a delightful addictive treat.
Oh, I love chocolate and chocolate bonbons. This time, I created a variation combining smooth fruity ganache and rich white chocolate shells. You can craft them with dark, milk or white chocolate. However, I prefer white chocolate to make the pink ganache pop out even more.
Savour the delicate balance of sweet and tangy in these white chocolate bonbons filled with velvety raspberry ganache. Making a ganache is incredibly easy. The key is the ratio of chocolate to cream or to a fruit puree, which determines the consistency.
However, chocolate bonbons ganache should have a little longer shelf life. Therefore, there are a couple more ingredients to help achieve that. Besides that, they add a different level of sweetness and consistency, too. For instance; sugar, glucose, honey, inverted sugar and/or sorbitol. I picked sugar, honey and glucose.
Glucose
Glucose is just another type of sugar, which is often used in confectionery. Why use it? Firstly, glucose will extend your bonbons’ shelf life. They will last for weeks. Secondly, it helps maintain a smooth and creamy texture. And thirdly, as you can imagine, it gives a slightly sweeter note.
For a more intense flavour, add more raspberry puree. The more glucose you use, the softer the ganache texture will be. On the other hand, for a richer ganache, I used higher-quality white chocolate.
And I`ll say it again: learn to temper your chocolate. It just takes a bit of devotion and patience. The result: your chocolate bars and bonbons will be shiny and fabulous. Tempering chocolate is essential for achieving that smooth and glossy finish. Moreover, you’ll get that satisfying snap when biting into your chocolate bonbons.
For more information and other chocolate tips check these chocolate bonbons recipes: coffee ganache chocolate bonbons or these raspberry cardamom milk chocolate bonbons.
Ingredients for ca 30 raspberry ganache white chocolate bonbons:
- 30 g cocoa butter
- pink and purple colour (for chocolate)
- 420 g white chocolate chips/couverture (keep 70 g + 60 g on a side)
Ingredients for raspberry ganache:
- 100 g raspberries
- 10 g sugar
- 5 g lemon juice
- 20 ml cream
- 3 g honey
- 15 g glucose
- 80 g white chocolate
Tempering cocoa butter
Temper the cocoa butter by melting the butter in a microwave or a water bath. Heat it to 40-43°C and cool it down to 26°C by stirring constantly (keep checking the temperature using the thermometer). Then, reheat it back to 29°-30°C. Divide it between two smaller cups and add pink food colour to one and purple to the other one.
Paint the moulds. Clean any excess cocoa butter and colour by flipping the mould (cavities down) onto a paper towel and dragging it on. Let your “painting job” set for 5-10 minutes.
Tempering chocolate
Meanwhile, place two-thirds (ca 250 g) of white chocolate chips into a clean heatproof bowl. Melt it over a water bath or in a microwave. When it reaches 40°C remove it from the heat and stir in 70 g of white chocolate chips until melted and cooled. You can use an ice bath as well. Once it reaches 25°-26°C quickly reheat it back to 28°-29°C.
Then, transfer the tempered chocolate into a piping bag, cut a smaller tip to control the flow and fill the mould cavities to the top. Try to work fast.
Tap on the sides of the form a couple of times with a chocolate spatula to remove all the air bubbles. Then, flip the form upside-down, holding it over a silicone mat, and let the chocolate drip out of the mould cavities. Tap the sides of the mould again to remove the excess chocolate.
Once the chocolate stops dripping, use a spatula to scrape the surface of the mould (still holding it upside down). Afterwards, place it slightly elevated (place two wooden spoons underneath it) on the table (with cavities facing down) and allow it to set. Place all of the scraped-off chocolate back in the bowl for later use.
Raspberry ganache
Prepare the raspberry ganache. Place the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and cook them until softened. Then, puree and strain them to remove the seeds for a smoother texture.
In a heatproof container put the chopped white chocolate. Put the strained raspberry pure back in the saucepan and add the cream, honey and glucose. Heat it just until it starts to simmer. Afterwards, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for about a minute to melt.
Gently stir it and blend it (using an immersion blender). Hold the container at an angle, without letting any air in it. Transfer the raspberry ganache to a piping bag and allow it to cool to 28-29°C before using it.
Once the ganache has reached the working temperature, pipe it into the chocolate shells, stopping 2 to 3 millimeters from the top edge. Allow to set overnight, in a cool and dry place.
Capping the bonbons
Temper the chocolate again. Following the steps above: melt it, add the 60 g of chocolate chips, cool it down and then reheat it again. Only when the chocolate has the right working temperature, put it into a piping bag. Cut off a small tip and quickly pipe it over each cavity.
Next, just like when creating the shells, give the mould a couple of taps from the side to remove the air bubbles. Scrape the mould clean, using an off-set spatula. Allow to set appropriately.
Unmolding
Finally, remove the handcrafted raspberry ganache white chocolate bonbons from the mould. Flip the mould upside down over a clean surface. Store them in a tin box, where they will last for a couple of weeks.
Enjoy.
