Chewy Salted Caramel And Hazelnut Ganache Bon Bons Food

BUTTERSCOTCH BON-BONS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler over barely simmering water, whisking until completely melted. Melt butterscotch morsels in a large glass bowl in the microwave on 50 percent power, whisking after 1 minute, and then returning to microwave for 1 more minute.
• With a small ice cream scoop, scoop as many ice cream balls as desired, place them on a sheet tray, and put tray in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until re-frozen. Drizzle melted butterscotch and chocolate over ice cream scoops. Return to freezer until ready to serve.

GANACHE, SOFT FILLING FOR CHOCOLATES ETC...

Steps:

• To make chocolate cases: melt 200g ( 7 oz) chocolate over a pan of warm water, do not overheat, when three quarters of it is melted, remove from heat and stir vigorously, this should distribute the heat and melt the remaining chocolate without it getting too hot and going "grainy".
• Take a small teaspoon of melted chocolate and " paint" the inside of your mini muffin paper or the insides of your silicone ice block forms. If coverage is a bit skimpy don't panic. these set in the fridge in minutes and a second coat is easier and works better than trying to get one very thick coat. Put them in the fridge to harden. Reserve enough of your chocolate to cover the bottom of your forms once they have been filled with the ganache filling.
• Put butter and cream in a saucepan and bring to boil, stirring all the time.
• Remove from heat and add chocolate and liqueur.
• Stir well until smooth (heat of mixture will melt chocolate) leave to cool a little, then let cool.
• Use as soft filling for chocolates and tartes.
• This does thicken up over time, and good chocolate is never refrigerated, just kept in a cool dry place. If these are refrigerated the filling gets very firm over time.
• By now your ganache filling mixture should be cool enough to put into the chocolate cases, using a piping bag or a teaspoon, fill them with the ganache, (but not quite to the very top of the chocolate case) Then put them back into the fridge for a while, and once set a little solid, put a "top" of melted chocolate on them to seal them closed and refrigerate until the top too is solid. I like to keep these in the fridge for a least a few hours or somewhere nice and cool overnight before I try and get them out of the forms.
• If using mini muffin papers, peel away the papers from the chocolates (this can be fiddly, don't press too hard as you peel them or your chocolate will break), If using the silicone ice cube forms, GENTLY easy the chocolates out of the forms, they will just pop out -- plate up and amaze your guests with these divine triumphs !

BONBONS

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine margarine, confectioners' sugar, condensed milk, coconut, chopped walnuts and vanilla. Stir well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until mixture has thickened enough to roll into balls. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place close together, but not touching, on cookie sheets. Freeze until hard.
• While bonbons are freezing, line a cookie sheet or flat surface with waxed paper. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in the top of a double boiler, over, not in, simmering water. Stir until melted. Using a toothpick or a fork, dip each bonbon in the melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper to dry. When chocolate has hardened, store bonbons in plastic bag in the freezer.

CARAMEL GANACHE

Steps:

• Whisk 4 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate into the warm caramel sauce until smooth. Drizzle over vanilla ice cream.

CHEWY, SALTY PEANUTTY CARAMEL BROWNIES

Steps:

• For the caramel: Very lightly grease the inside of a 2-cup glass measuring cup with oil. Combine the granulated sugar and butter in a small deep saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. (Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled and then separated-it will come together.) Cook, stirring, until it looks like dark peanut butter, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. When the butter mixture is the right color, remove from the heat and slowly and very carefully whisk in the hot cream-it will bubble up and steam, so be careful. Put the pot back over medium heat, bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook about 1 minute. Pour into the prepared measuring cup and cool to room temperature. (The caramel can be made the night before and kept, covered, at room temperature. You can warm it very briefly in a microwave so that it is pourable, but be careful not to overheat. It should not be too loose.)
• For the brownie: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a piece of foil 9 by 20-inches. Butter the corners and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line the pan with the foil so that the excess hangs over at each of the short sides of the pan. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, being careful that the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until smooth.
• Whisk the eggs, sugars and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir the chocolate into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula, and then stir in the flour until just combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the peanuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Drizzle the caramel over the top, using a butter knife to swirl it into the batter. Coarsely chop the remaining 1/2 cup peanuts and scatter over the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Be sure to insert the toothpick in a spot that does not have too much caramel.
• Place on a cooling rack and, while still slightly warm, run a butter knife between the brownie and the long sides of the pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• When the brownie has cooled completely, place a lightweight cutting board or a baking rack over the top of the pan. Flip and set on the counter. Gently pull the pan from the foil and the foil from the pan to remove. Gently peel the foil off the brownie. Place another lightweight cutting board on top, and flip the brownie right-side-up. Slice into 1 1/2-inch squares.

TIRAMISU BON BONS

Steps:

• Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop, spoon out balls from the tray of tiramisu to create the bon bons. Freeze the bon bons on a cookie sheet for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler until smooth and glossy. Dip frozen tiramisu bon bons in melted chocolate until covered on all sides. Place the bon bons on a cookie sheet covered in parchment or waxed paper and return them to the freezer. Take bon bons out of freezer and let them thaw for about 15 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE & SALTED CARAMEL BRITTLE

Steps:

• For the ganache, put the chocolate into a large bowl. Heat the cream in a pan until just boiling, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave for 5 mins, then stir until smooth. Put the ganache to one side to thicken and cool, then chill until needed.
• For the caramel sauce, heat the sugar and butter in a pan until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Add the cream, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• For the brittle, line a baking tray with baking parchment, then put the sugar and 4 tbsp of water in a heavy-based frying pan and heat, without stirring, until golden brown. Stir through the nuts, and pour (in a thin layer) over the parchment. Sprinkle with ½ tsp flaky sea salt and leave to set.
• To serve, drizzle each plate with sauce, heat a large spoon in a cup of hot water, then scoop out a curl of chocolate ganache for each plate. Break the brittle into shards and push a piece into each scoop. Sprinkle with crumbled brittle and add a pinch of sea salt.