Strawberry Balsamic Chocolate Kisses bonbons are a layer of fruity, tart, balsamic reduction atop a silky, pretty pink ganache, wrapped in chocolate lips.
Shower your special someone with a few Strawberry Balsamic Chocolate Kisses for v-day! A luscious, silky, pretty pink layer of strawberry ganache, topped with a fruity, tart balsamic reduction, wrapped in dark chocolate lips.
A few years ago, I was fortunate to spend a few days learning from the incredibly talented Chef Melissa Coppel. To complement all that talent, is a down-to-earth, no-nonsense, generous-with-her-knowledge woman. It didn't hurt that she was as obsessive about hygiene and cleanliness, as I am.
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We made eight amazing recipes over the course of the workshop, with a portion of the time devoted to theory. I really valued the theory section, as it helped to deepen my understanding of some of the concepts I learned through the chocolatier program - i.e. water activity (aw), shelf life and recipe formulation and balance.
Her design style is clean, precise and innovative - in short, stunning - and her fillings are even better. A lot of the tropical flavours she uses in her recipes are ones I enjoyed throughout my childhood and into adulthood. I just love her approach to flavour pairing.
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Balsamic Reduction
Balsamic reduction is what you get after heating balsamic vinegar for ten to fifteen minutes. Heating the vinegar reduces the water (a plus, when using in chocolate) and concentrates the sugars, creating a thick glaze that is deliciously tart and sweet and less pungent.
In addition to savoury dishes like roasted brussels sprouts, sous vide beets and meat, I love drizzling balsamic reduction over salads, particularly, fruit salad. So, pairing it with a berry ganache and chocolate was intriguing to me.
We didn't actually make the reduction in class, Melissa prepared it ahead of class to save some time. Plus, it is super simple to make, or if the thought of filling your kitchen with pungent aroma of vinegar does not appeal to you, you can buy the reduction.
Making it at home is simple, however. Start with your favourite quality balsamic vinegar, add to a saucepan with a sweetener (optional), heat for 10-15 minutes, allow to cool and thicken. If you own a refractometer, aim for 72 brix, or test for doneness on a frozen plate.
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Filling and Capping Your Kisses
Because, you know, a little protection goes a long way...
Once the reduction has cooled, it gets piped into the shell. You only need a small amount, to complement, not compete with, the ganache. In the photo below, it is oozing out, so it looks like there is a lot more in the bonbon than there actually was. A dollop or two, depending on the size of your mold, should be sufficient.
Allow the reduction to set, then pipe in the ganache. The ganache we made in class had a number of ingredients that may not be in the average pantry - like sorbitol, dextrose, citric acid and SOSA extracts - so I made these bonbons with that in mind. If, however, you can get a hold of those ingredients, they improve the overall taste, texture and shelf life of the finished product.
It takes practice to cast perfectly uniformed shells and then fill them to just the right level that allows for a cap that is as thin and shiny as the rest of the shell. I've gotten better with practice and I continue to improve with each batch.
Overfilling the cavities will lead to uneven, leaky bonbons, with a shortened shelf life. Underfilling leaves your bonbons with a base that is thicker than the rest of the shell, which changes the overall eating experience.
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Making The Cut, or NOT...
Even with a warm, sharp knife, I clearly did not make the cut - this is one of my worst yet, when compared to this, this or this. So why share it if it is so bad, you might ask. Well, life isn't perfect...DEAL!
I like a pristine cut as much as the next chocolatier, another thing Melissa does extremely well. However, I feel food that looks too perfect can sometimes appear inedible and unapproachable. Or, perhaps I am just making excuses for my failed attempt. 🙂
I made these Strawberry Balsamic Chocolate Kisses last January, with the intention to share them on the blog for v-day. Well, here they are just in time for Valentine, only a year late! Hope you will get the chance to whip some up for your love!
For the bonbon design, I lowered the pressure on my airbrush compressor to create the speckled effect with a light pink cocoa butter. You can use a clean, unused toothbrush to get similar results, if you do not own an airbrush. I then sprayed a layer of red cocoa butter over the speckles. Easy, simple, attractive design.
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Ingredients
For the balsamic reduction:
- 100 grams balsamic vinegar
- 25 grams glucose syrup maple syrup or honey
For the ganache:
- 65 grams strawberry puree I used Boiron
- 8 grams glucose
- 80 grams 35% whipping cream
- 30 grams butter
- 2.5 grams freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 165 grams white chocolate I used Valrhona Waina 35%
Instructions
Reduce the vinegar:
- Add vinegar and glucose to a saucepan and boil gently until reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. If using a refractometer, aim for 72 Brix.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before piping a dollop or two into the prepared chocolate shells. Allow to set.
Make the ganache:
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl placed over a pot with a little simmering water. Set aside.
- Add the puree, cream, glucose and butter to a saucepan and warm. Remove from heat and stir in the freeze-dried fruit powder with a whisk, while the cream mixture is still warm. You can omit the fruit powder, but I like to use it to amp up the flavour and add natural colour to the ganache.
- Add the cream mixture to the melted chocolate and emulsify with an immersion blender for best results, or stir well with a whisk. Cool and pipe over the balsamic reduction in shells, leaving room at the top for capping.
- Allow the filling to set, overnight is best, then temper some chocolate and cap the molds.
Susan says
Love these! How/when did you add the transfer sheet?? I was worried if I put the transfer sheet on it would affect the cooling and bloom??