I learnt how to make these bonbons on the chocolate course that I did at the Cook's Academy in Dublin.
Marzipan is a great filling for bonbons. You can mix various things into it like candied peel, cracked coffee beans, various nuts and dried fruits. It's also easy to work with as it rolls out easily and keeps its shape which is perfect for enrobing.
I think these would make a particularly lovely gift at Christmas. I always associate marzipan to fruitcake and I associate fruitcake to Christmas, so the flavour of marzipan, in my head anyway, is a Christmas flavour.
I've simply decorated my bonbons with crushed pistachios and making ripples in the chocolate, but for a more Christmas feel you could use small squares of Christmas themed chocolate transfer sheets on the top of each one.
White Chocolate Dipped Candied Orange & Pistachio Marzipan Bonbons
Makes about 40 chocolates, recipe easily halved or quartered
Marzipan Prep Time: 1 - 1½ hrs
Tempering & Dipping Time: 1 - 2 hrs
Setting Time: 20-40mins
Ingredients
17 ½ oz. (500g) Marzipan
2 oz. (60g) Pistachios, shelled & peeled, whole or roughly chopped
3 oz. (90g) Candied Orange Peel, finely cut
2 Tablespoons (1 oz. / 30ml) Cointreau or Grand Marnier Liqueur, optional
10 ½ oz. (300g) White Chocolate, finely chopped for tempering
Directions
- (If using liqueur) Pour the Cointreau or Grand Marnier over the candied orange peel, place into a covered dish and allow to soak overnight
- Knead the soaked peel & pistachios into the marzipan until well distributed
- Using a small amount of icing sugar to stop the marzipan from sticking, roll out to a height of about 2cm
- Cut into squares
- Temper the white chocolate
- Carefully lower each square of marzipan into the chocolate with a dipping fork
- Tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate
- Tip: It’s best to use a bowl that’s deep rather than shallow so that the truffle is easily covered
- Scrape off excess chocolate from under the dipping fork on the side of the bowl
- Place dipped truffle/candy on parchment paper, decorate as you wish and allow to set
- Tip: You can use transfers or sprinkle crushed pistachio or candied peel. You can also wait for the chocolate to be semi set then use your dipping fork to mark the top of the chocolate
- Once the chocolate has hardened, trim off any “feet” with a sharp knife
- Once fully set, cut off any feet with a sharp knife
- Tip: Try to handle the chocolate as little as possible or wear food safe gloves to that you don’t leave fingerprints on the chocolate
- Enjoy!
