Paul A. Young’s “The Grand Bonbon”
A fine chocolate cube that's bigger than a bonbon yet smaller than a plated dessert. The shell is made up of Collection Etienne 64% Cacao Single Origin Madagascar, filled with a dairy-free ganache using coconut water, coconut sugar, 72% Santé made with Coconut Sugar and Compañero Ron Elixir Orange. Inside the ganache is a coconut confit sphere and to finish, the top has piped ganache, candied orange, caramelized coconut, chocolate flakes and rosemary leaves.
Ingredients
FOR THE CUBES:
1kg Collection Etienne 64% Single Origin Madagascan; tempered
FOR THE GANACHE:
350ml coconut water
50g coconut sugar
250g Guittard 72% Santé Baking Chips made with Coconut Sugar
50ml Ron Elixir Orange (or any rum or orange liqueur)
FOR THE COCONUT CONFIT:
85g light agave syrup or glucose syrup
35g desiccated coconut
25g unrefined caster sugar
20g water
½ tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE DECORATION:
(Rosemary Leaves, Candied Orange, Caramelized Coconut, Coconut Flakes)
CANDIED ORANGE:
1 orange
100g unrefined caster sugar
100mls water
CARAMELIZED COCONUT:
25g raw dried coconut flakes
50g unrefined caster sugar
COCONUT FLAKES:
50g Guittard 72% Santé Baking Chips made with Coconut Sugar; tempered
Directions
GANACHE:
Bring to the simmer both the coconut water and coconut sugar.
Pour the hot liquid onto the chocolate and emulsify with a hand blender.
Add the Orange rum and mix well.
Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature.
COCONUT CONFIT FILLING:
Warm the agave syrup, sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coconut and cook on a low heat until it reaches 112°C/235°F.
Mix well and tip the mix into an oiled tray or food container.
Allow to cool fully.
Weigh into 10g and roll into balls using wet hands.
CANDIED ORANGE:
Remove the peel from a thick skinned orange and julienne.
Simmer the orange zest for 2 minutes and repeat this twice more using fresh water each time.
Bring to the boil the sugar and water add the strained orange zest, simmer on a very low heat for 30 minutes.
Once cold, lay each strand of orange zest across a cooling wire for 2 hours.
Now toss through coconut sugar to coat.
CARAMELIZED COCONUT:
Warm the coconut briefly in the oven at 150°C/300°F.
In a large saute pan sprinkle the sugar evenly across the pan and allow a medium heat to melt the sugar until it's golden.
Mix in the coconut to coat in caramel and tip out onto a heat proof mat or baking paper, allow to cool.
CHOCOLATE FLAKES:
Spread the chocolate thinly onto baking paper, lay another sheet or paper on top and press firmly.
Chill for 15 minutes then separate the papers and allow the chocolate to fall into small flakes.
CONSTRUCTION:
Pipe the ganache into each cube one third full and allow to set.
Place a coconut ball in the centre of each cube and press to secure it.
Pipe in the remaining ganache to fill each cube and leave overnight to crust.
Cap off each cube with tempered chocolate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Turn out each cube.
Pipe a small amount of the remaining ganache onto each cube and place the decorations into the ganache.
Enjoy at room temperature.
Shelf life of the undecorated cubes is 2 weeks at room temperature.
