Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons

Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons are an exquisite blend of silky cheesecake ganache, topped with sweet tangy carambola (starfruit) jam.

HELLO, HELLO! I'm still here and finally getting around to sharing these red pops of yummy Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons.

I first shared these on my Instagram feed back in March and had lots of requests to share on the blog. Sorry it has taken me so long - I just could not find the time to edit the damn photos and video!

Well, I finally have and I've included how I close my bonbons - another popular request from my die-hard followers. YIPPIE-KI-YAY! If you aren't interested in my banter, skip down to the video - I'll only judge you a little.

Go Light On the Colour

Whether you apply your colour manually or mechanically, know that less is more. I sampled some bonbons recently and the coloured cocoa butter was laid on so thick, it ruined the overall eating experience for me.

I have found this especially with darker colours like blue and black and with white. If you want a more opaque finish, try mixing your cocoa butter with dark, milk or white chocolate, instead of laying on the coloured cocoa batter.

If you are just starting to make chocolate, more importantly, selling your goods, go light on the colour. Not only will your chocolates have a better mouthfeel for those eating them, but you can save some money in your production. Cocoa butter ain't cheap, after all.

Paint or Airbrush?

It all depends on the look you want to achieve, or how lazy/tired you happen to feel that day. Sometimes a splash of colour against a naked chocolate backdrop is all the effort I want to give, but can be just as impactful. Multiple splashes and you are on your way to becoming the next Jackson Pollock!

I'll admit, however, that I love using my airbrush to add colour - quick, even coverage in less time. Multiple colour changes, noisy compressor and the clean-up, not so much.

It's really up to you! But like I said above, don't lay it on too thick.

It's What's On The Inside

Say cheese! Yes, that is what's inside, and jam - so breakfast. These bonbons were my first foray into cheese ganache and they are still one of my faves.

The cheesecake ganache in these Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons is almost identical to this one, with fromage blanc in place of mascarpone. This is where you'll likely ask, what's fromage blanc?

Fromage Blanc, also known as Maquee or White Cheese, is a fresh cheese in which fermentation has been halted. It's soft and decadently creamy and can be enjoyed as you would cheese or yogurt.

If you follow my IG stories, you may remember me sharing a fresh tub, straight from Montreal, a little while back. It can be a little tricky to find, but a few good substitutes include Mascarpone (this yields a richer ganache), Greek Yogurt, Quark, a mix of Sour Cream and Ricotta, or even Queso Fresco.

When our VP of Research resigned her post, she gifted me a bag of her homemade goodies, which included a jar of Strawberry Carambola (a.k.a Starfruit) jam. I'm normally not a jam person, but starfruit is another fave from my childhood, so we cleaned the jar out pretty fast. I thought it would work well in a bonbon, so I made a batch of my own.

Lace Bottoms

Now, you can slap on some plain chocolate feet to seal in all that delish in your bonbons, but I like to dress my feet up from time to time. This time called for white lace... risqué! Perfect for a departing colleague, whose sense of fashion is almost on par with her smarts. The other tray went to a friend, who returned from visiting his parents in Montreal, with the fromage blanc used in this recipe, in tow.

OK, enough talk...here's a video of me making my Berry Carambola Cheesecake Bonbons.