Honey and Anise Blossom Caramel and Orange Bon Bon

Ingredients

Ingredients for polycarbonate mould preparation  

• 6 punnets of Anise Blossom
• 600g Xoco Gourmet 40% cocoa solids white chocolate 

Ingredients for Honey and Anise Blossom Caramel 

• 90g whipping cream (37-38% fat) and 20g water 
• 4 punnets Anise Blossom – chopped 
• 190g caster sugar 
• 30g blossom honey 
• 150g unsalted butter – cubed, room temperature 
• 3g sea salt flakes 

Ingredients for Orange Ganache 

• 120g Xoco Gourmet 40% cocoa solids white chocolate 
• 50g whipping cream (37-38% fat) 
• 20g juice from an orange 
• Zest of 2 oranges 
• 14g glucose syrup 
• 10g unsalted butter 
• Few drops orange essential oil (optional) 

Method

Method for casting Mould 

• Finely chop the anise blossoms. Temper the white chocolate. 
• Stir chopped flowers into the chocolate and cast the mould with it. 
• Let cast mould crystallise at cool room temperature or in a chocolate fridge while making the fillings. 

Method for Honey and Anise Blossom Caramel 

• Place Anise Blossom in the cream. Bring to boil, remove from heat and cover to retain the vapour and leave for 2 hours to infuse. 
• Make a rich caramel with sugar and honey.  
• Remove pan from the heat. Add the butter a little at a time stirring to emulsify. Meanwhile bring infused cream back to steaming point. 
• A little at a time add the hot cream to the caramel until it is all incorporated (with care – it will bubble up vigorously). 
• Pass caramel into a bowl, let cool slightly, stir in the salt, place in a piping bag, and when cooled to 25-28C, pipe in to the cast chocolate cavities just under half full. Let crystallise at cool room temperature or in a chocolate fridge for a few hours.  

Method for Orange Ganache 

• Place the orange zest into the cream and orange juice in a pan, bring to boil and immediately cover to capture the vapour. Leave to infuse for 1 hour. Place the chocolate into a bowl. 
• Rewarm the cream and orange infusion with the glucose and pass through a sieve on to the white chocolate, squeezing out as much liquid and flavour as possible. 
• Stir to emulsify, then stir in the butter. Add drops of orange oil if required. 
• Pipe on top of anise blossom caramel to just under the top of the mould, let crystallise for a few hours or overnight at cool room temperature or in a chocolate fridge.  
• Retemper white chocolate and cap the chocolates. Let crystallise and de-mould. 
• Store at 16-18C for a maximum of 3 days.

Recipe: Shona Sutherland