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Ruby chocolate has been around for a while, and I've seen many applications of it, from simple slabs of chocolate and hot chocolates through to bonbons and patisserie delights.
When I first tasted Callebaut's RB1 ruby chocolate, I commented "I am a firm believer that in the right context, this ingredient would work brilliantly." I also reckoned, "the tart lemony notes of the ruby chocolate could work elegantly when contrasted against sharp and tart berry fruits, such as raspberry."
So, when home baking upstart LemonVanilla sent me over a pouch of Ruby Chocolate drops, I knew that besides a pink hot chocolate and ruby chocolate eclairs, I simply had to make a batch of raspberry ruby chocolate bonbons.
I melted down some ruby chocolate buttons into a liquid, then lined a cacao pod-shaped chocolate mould with this. I had enough spare chocolate to make six bonbons in this experiment.
While the chocolate shells hardened, I made up the fondant by mixing freeze-dried raspberry powder into thick and difficult-to-spoon fondant mass. When it came to filling my bonbons, I should of used a piping bag, but I didn't have one to hand. Instead, I popped the fondant mixture into the microwave for five seconds just to warm it up enough it was easier to gingerly spoon in.
Once filled, I was worried about the now-warm fondant melting the shell, and had visions of mucking up the capping. So, I popped the mould into the freezer while I melted the remainder of the chocolate.
Once capped, I left everything to harden and breathed a sigh of relief when they easily popped out of the mould!
Despite the vivid pink colour, the aroma of this two-bite morsel was similar to that of a sweet white chocolate. It had a creamy rice pudding vibe to it.
The flavour worked very well. I'm not a huge fan of ruby chocolate on its own, but when paired with raspberry, it adds an interesting dynamic to the overall flavour.
I was worried the raspberry fondant would be too sweet, and together with the ruby chocolate shell, there would be way too much sweetness. However, being heavy-handed with the raspberry powder paid off, as the tartness from this neutralised the sweetness of the fondant. It was sweet, yes, but not overwhelmingly so. It also burst with raspberry flavour.
The fondant added a light chewy texture to the bonbon. I could have opted for a light white chocolate ganache but I was curious to see if the ruby chocolate could handle a fondant centre. The answer was a resounding 'yes' - but only thanks to the raspberry that tamed the sugary sweetness.
The ruby shell added creaminess together with a little citrus twang and a hint of sweetness. Surprisingly, the ruby chocolate flavour lingered longest afterwards. There was a flash of raspberry in the middle but it quickly faded out.
Pink Raspberry Ruby Chocolate Bonbon Recipe
If I were to make these again, I'd try adding a dash of black pepper into the fondant. I reckon that would add an interesting dimension to the ruby chocolate and raspberry flavours. I'd also be tempted to try other tart freeze-dried fruits in place of the raspberry, such as blackcurrant.
Pink Raspberry Ruby Chocolate Bonbons Recipe
Ruby chocolate shells with a raspberry fondant centre
Makes approximately 6
Ruby Chocolate Shell Ingredients
- 100g of Callebaut Ruby Chocolate drops
Raspberry Fondant Centre Ingredients
- 75g Belgofondant White Refined Fondant Mass
- 1tsp of Freeze-Dried Raspberry
Pink Raspberry Ruby Chocolate Bonbons Method
Step 1 / Melt Chocolate
Pop the ruby chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and heat in burst of 20 seconds until molten (but not hot).
Step 2 / Pour Into Mould
Pour the molten ruby chocolate into a chocolate mould and ensure a thin, uniform covering inside each groove. Tip out the excess and leave to harden.
Step 3 / Make The Filling
Spoon the thick and gloopy fondant into a bowl and add in a generous teaspoon of free-dried raspberry dust. Be brave and bold. Stir. You might need to pop the fondant into the microwave for just a few seconds to make it more fluid. It will heat up FAST so less is more here.
Step 4 / Fill the Bonbons
Once the chocolate shells have hardened, fill them with the fondant. Leave a gap at the top. Freeze the mould for just a few minutes to harden the fondant.
Step 5 / Melt Chocolate
Pop the leftover ruby chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and heat in burst of 20 seconds until molten (but not hot).
Step 6 / Cap Chocolates
Pour the molten ruby chocolate over the fondant and in a quick and smooth fashion, scrape the excess off the top to leave a smooth finish. Leave to harden and demould.
LemonVanilla gifted me a pouch of ruby chocolate, and I purchased the remainder of the ingredients from Keylink at the same time as I stocked up on sacks of chocolate couverture.
If you fancy giving these a go but don't want to order industrial quantities of ingredients for your home baking projects, you'll find a 300g pouch of Ruby Chocolate at LemonVanilla (£7.50). You'll also find a kilogram of Belgofondant White Refined Fondant Mass (£2.60) and 25g of Freeze-Dried Raspberry Crumble (£2.90).
LemonVanilla also stocks a range of chocolate moulds here. I've got a small collection of chocolate moulds from the cheap and not-so cheerful to a gifted hand-me-down that is the bees knees of moulds. It pays to invest in a good quality chocolate mould if you see yourself making bonbons beyond this recipe.
Did you make your own ruby chocolate bonbons? Did you adjust the recipe? Let me know how you get on in the comments below.
