From the ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

Makes 12 pieces

Impress your Valentine with these beautiful bonbons. On a plate or in a gift bag, these treats taste as good as they look!

INGREDIENTS

100g Slivered almonds

0.59g Salt

90g Fine sugar

150g 70% dark chocolate

30g Goji berries

15g Rum

12 Whole almonds

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Molds, pyramid shape

DIRECTIONS

1.Suggested working room temperature should be around 66-72 degrees Fahrenheit/ 19-22 degrees Celsius.

2.Soak Goji berries in the rum overnight.

3.The next day, puree the mixture to a paste-like jelly form.

4.Spread out the mixture onto a large sheet of nonstick baking paper such as parchment and set aside.

5.Pour sugar, slivered almonds and sea salt into a nonstick pan. Over medium heat, slowly cook the almonds and sugar until it becomes a light golden color and light caramel coats the almonds. Quickly remove from heat, spread it onto the parchment paper and set aside to cool.

6.Use robo coupé blender machine or food processor to grind the candied almonds to powder form.

7.Use a Bain Marie or water bath to melt the dark chocolate, then temper it to approximately 89 degrees Fahrenheit / 31 degrees Celsius. While tempering, stir the chocolate from time to time. When the chocolate is smooth and shiny, it is ready to be used.

8.Take half the tempered, melted chocolate and set it aside in the chocolate warmer or in saucepan on a stovetop set to low heat— keep the chocolate’s temperature at 89 degrees Fahrenheit / 31 degrees Celsius.

9.Use the other half of the tempered melted chocolate to fill the entire inner wall of the chocolate mold, then pour out the excess melted chocolate from the mold. A layer of chocolate will remain, coating the inner wall of the mold. Leave it to cool and set for about 10-20 minutes, or however long it takes to reach room temperature.

10.Pipe in about 2-5 grams of the rum and goji jam into the chocolate mold as a soft gel filling for the bonbon.

11.Take the remaining melted dark chocolate and mix it with the candied almond powder. Use the dark chocolate and candied almond powder mix to cover up the goji jam, creating the base of bonbon in the mold.

12.Let the chocolate cool and set for around 1 hour at room temperature (ideally ranging from 18-21 degrees Celsius / 64-69 degrees Fahrenheit.) Unmold the chocolate bonbon by flipping the mold and giving it a quick knock on a surface. Eventually it will fall out of the mold.

13.Decorate the bonbon by using a small drop of melted tempered chocolate to attach one whole dried goji berry and one toasted whole almond, then set aside for storage or serving.

14.Ideally, store the bonbons at around 16-18 degrees Celsius / 60-64 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% humidity.

Find this recipe and more holiday treats at almonds.com