Recently I made these Chocolate Bonbons to take to my sister’s. She shared them with her neighbor, who recently sent me a message asking if I would share the recipe with her because her family really loved them. So here it is… This recipe comes from one of the first cookbooks I purchased when I began working part-time in a kitchen specialty shop in Chicago years ago. As the book says, “If they love chocolate, they’ll swoon over these!”
Chocolate Bonbons (from Marlene Sorosky’s Cookery for Entertaining)
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds(4oz.) (optional)
Garnishes such as halved hazelnuts or almonds, halved candied cherries, crystallized violets and chocolate sprinkles (optional)
Velvet Frosting
½ cup whipping cream
¾ cup sugar
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 1-1and1/2 inch miniature muffin cups with bonbon papers; set aside. Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Remove from hot water, stir in sugar. Add eggs, mixing well. Stir in flour, baking powder, vanilla and nuts, if using. Spoon a small amount of chocolate mixture into each prepared muffin cup, filling cups ½ to3/4 full. Bake 8 minutes. Bonbons will be soft and look under-baked but will become firm as they cool. Cool in muffin cups. Prepare Velvet Frosting. Spoon frosting over each bonbon. Garnish tops of bonbons with nuts, candied cherries, crystallized violets or chocolate sprinkles if you like. These may be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen. Serve cold. Makes 55- 60 bonbons.
Velvet Frosting
In a small heavy saucepan, mix cream and sugar. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Simmer 5 minutes. Add chocolate; stir to melt. Stir a spoonful of chocolate mixture into the egg yolk to warm it slightly. Add egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Add butter; stir until melted. Stir in vanilla.