Bonbon Food

BON BONS

Steps:

• Cream together butter, powdered sugar and coconut. Stir walnuts and condensed milk into the mixture. Roll into 1 inch balls and arrange on waxed paper covered cookie sheets. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Melt chocolate chips and shortening top of double boiler over medium-low heat. Working in small batches, dip balls in chocolate until covered. Place on waxed paper covered cookie sheets and refrigerate. When firm, store covered in refrigerator.

TOMATO BON BONS

Steps:

• Stuff each of the tomatoes with a cube of Asiago cheese. Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl. Mix the sausage in until the egg is completely incorporated. Lay a 12 by 12-inch piece of plastic wrap on your workspace. Break off about 3/4 of an ounce of the sausage mixture and make a small pancake in the palm of your hand. Put the stuffed tomato in the middle of the pancake and wrap the sausage around it, rolling it in your palms to create a meatball, making sure the entire tomato is covered with the sausage mixture. Set it on the plastic wrap and continue with the remaining tomatoes.
• Beat the 2 remaining eggs in a small bowl. Put the flour and Breading in separate small bowls. To set up your breading station, place the 3 bowls in this order: flour, egg, and breading mixture. Lay another 12 by 12-inch piece of plastic wrap on your work space. With one hand (the wet hand), place a bon bon into the flour. With the other hand (the dry hand), roll it around gently until it is lightly coated. Pick it up and place it into the egg bowl. With your wet hand, roll it around gently until it is lightly coated with the egg. Place it into the breading bowl. With your dry hand, sprinkle some Breading over the bon bon, and then begin to gently roll it around to coat it. Place it on the clean piece of plastic wrap. Continue until all of the bon bons have been breaded. If needed, you can roll the bon bons around gently in your clean dry hands to ensure that they're perfectly round. Let sit while the oil is heating.
• Using a candy thermometer, heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a pan that is deep enough that the bon bons will be completely submerged. Fry the bon bons 6 at a time until they are completely golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels. (The bon bons can be made ahead and warmed on a sheet pan in a 325 degree F oven for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.)
• Process the salsa and ranch dressing in a small food processor for about 30 seconds. Pour into a bowl and stir in the cucumber. Serve with the bon bons.
• Mix all the ingredients well.

BUTTERCREAM BONBONS

Steps:

• Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until smooth.
• Add vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.
• Reduce speed to low. While beating at low speed, gradually add powdered sugar until well mixed. (If mixture is too soft, cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to form balls.).
• Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover loosely; refrigerate until firm (2 hours, or overnight if preferred).
• Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (3 to 4 minutes).
• Insert a toothpick into a buttercream bon bon. Holding the toohpick, dip the bon bon into the melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip back into saucepan.
• Place chocolate-covered bon bon on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, and remove the toothpick. Repeat until all the bon bons are coated with melted chocolate.
• Place the sheet of bon bons in the refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until the chocolate is firm.
• Place bon bons in an air-tight container, with a sheet of waxed paper between the layers to keep the bon bons from sticking to one another. Store container in refrigerator (or in the freezer for up to 2 months) until ready to serve.

BON BON COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla and food coloring. Work in flour and salt until dough holds together. (If dough is dry, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk).
• For each cookie, shape dough by tablespoonful around date, nut, chocolate chips or cherry to form ball. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until set but not brown, 12 to 15 minutes; cool.
• Dip tops of cookies into glaze. Decorate with coconut, nuts, colored sugar, chocolate chips or chocolate shot, if desired.
• Glaze: beat 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth and of desired consistency. Tint parts of glaze with different food colors if desired.
• Chocolate glaze: beat 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 ounce melted unsweetened chocolate (cool) and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth and of desired consistency.
• Chocolate bonbon cookies: omit food color. Stir 1 ounce melted unsweetened chocolate (cool) into margarine mixture.