Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons

Today is the first day of Spring!  For me, that means flowers and gorgeous fruit in abundance.  Strawberries are appearing and soon there will be a burst of the bright color of stone fruit in our markets.  After months of the brown earth tones of nuts, spice and chocolate, we have the promise of some bright and beautiful pastries up ahead.

Sweet and salty snacks in the form of peanuts, pretzels and chocolate always appear high on the list for Americans.  So why not put them all together into one gooey little bon bon?

What is a bon bon, anyway?  The term bon in France simply means “good.”  And in France a bon bon refers to just about any little candy.  But in America, they are usually a confection of some sort dipped in chocolate or small scoops of ice cream dipped in chocolate.

This recipe rolls together the happy combination of peanut butter and pretzels with the help of some brown sugar and vanilla.  Then it’s a quick dunk in melted chocolate and voila!  You have a very simple and delicious little bite that can be stored in your freezer for whenever the snacking mood strikes.

Bench notes:

- This is a bit of a messy process.  But that’s what makes it kind of fun.  Keep the filling well-chilled at all times so it doesn't get super sticky.

- I portioned the bon bons with a truffle scoop. 

- I like dark bittersweet chocolate (72%) but use semisweet (62%) for a sweeter version.

- Let the melted chocolate cool just enough so it won’t melt the peanut butter filling when you dip them.

- Garnish the tops of the bon bons with crushed peanuts or a light sprinkle of salt.  

Peanut Butter Crunch Bonbons

Makes about 42 truffle-sized bonbons

1 cup (3 oz) salted pretzels

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) salted peanuts

3/4 cup (6 3/4 oz) peanut butter  

3 oz (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) dark brown sugar, packed                           

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

9 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment.

Crush the pretzels into smallish pieces and coarsely chop the peanuts.  Set aside.

Combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth and fully combined.  Fold in the pretzels and peanuts.  Chill until the mixture is very firm.

Scoop or shape the peanut butter mixture into 1” balls.  Chill.

Finely chop the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of about 1" of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.  As the mixture melts, stir to combine.  Remove from heat and cool for just a couple of minutes or so.  Using a fork, dip each bon bon in the melted chocolate, letting it drip for a moment and scraping the bottom of the fork against the edge of the bowl to remove excess.  Place on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet to set up.  Chill until firm.

Place the bon bons in a single layer in an airtight container and store in your refrigerator or freeze for longer storage.

Panforte Siena

Panforte is a dense chewy confection made with honey, nuts, spice and candied citrus with origins dating back to the Middle Ages in Siena, Italy. It was once used as a tithe to the monasteries at the beginning of each new year, so you will often find it in abundance throughout Italy at this time of year. Each regional shop carries its own distinctive brand. Some say a proper panforte should have 17 ingredients to reflect the 17 different contrade, or city subdivisions, within the city walls. The most famous contrade are the 17 Contrade de Siena that form the teams of the Palio di Siena.

As new ingredients were discovered over the centuries, many different recipes for panforte evolved throughout the regions. The Parenti bakery developed a chocolate one in the 1820’s. There are now three principal varieties, Panforte Margherita, a lighter and sweeter version named after Queen Margherita; Panforte Nero, made with an emphasis on bitter almonds; and my favorite, Panforte Panpepato, typically the highly spiced version that comes from 13th century Siena.

The best recipe I’ve found so far has hazelnuts, almonds, candied citron (or Buddha’s Hand), cocoa and an intriguing combination of spice. It comes from Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz. A warm and personal cookbook, every recipe is timeless, well tested and easily employed. I used to work with one of the recipe testers for the book, so I jumped right in when it was first published in 1999. Over the years, I think I’ve prepared nearly every recipe. David lives in Paris these days and has since published more cookbooks. You can follow his adventures at http://www.davidlebovitz.com/

Bench notes:
- You will need a candy thermometer or be able to test for the softball stage (240 degrees).
- I candy Buddha’s Hand each year for panforte. It is an essential ingredient! The unique aroma and flavor will knock you out. And, no! It bears no resemblance to those icky fruits you see in plastic containers! Buddha’s Hand or citron can sometimes be found at farmer’s markets or specialty markets. In an absolute pinch, you can use candied lemon peel.
- I added a pinch of cardamom to the recipe because I just had to.
- You can also bake in eight 3 1/2” tartlet pans for individual gifts.
- Traditionally, panforte is baked on a piece of edible wafer paper to make removal from the pan a bit easier. I use butter and cocoa as stated in the recipe. The trick is to remove from the pan while it is still warm. But if you wish to remain true to tradition, you can order wafer paper online.
- Enjoy with a good cup of coffee or a little glass of vin santo.


Panforte
adapted from Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz
Makes 1 9 1/2” disc, 16 to 20 servings

5 T unsweetened cocoa, plus 2 teaspoons more for dusting pan
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 C hazelnuts, toasted and loose skins removed
1 1/2 C almonds, toasted
3/4 C flour
3/4 C chopped candied citrus peel (preferably candied citron)
1 T ground cinnamon
2 t ground ginger
1 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
Pinch grated nutmeg
Pinch chili pepper
Pinch of cardamom (optional)
1 C granulated sugar
3/4 C honey

Powdered sugar for dusting

Prepare a 9 1/2" springform pan with butter. Dust with 2 teaspoons of cocoa, tapping out the excess. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in a bowl set over simmering water. Be sure the bowl is not touching the water.
Chop the nuts coarsely but leave a few whole.
Stir together nuts, flour, 5 tablespoons cocoa, candied citrus and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Attach a candy thermometer to a small heavy saucepan. Place granulated sugar and honey in the pan and heat to 240 degrees F.

Mix melted chocolate into nut, fruit and spice mixture. Stir in honey syrup. Work very quickly because the batter will begin to stiffen very rapidly. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Dampen your fingers or the back of a spoon with a bit of water and spread batter evenly, smoothing the surface.

Bake for 50 minutes and cool for about 30 minutes. While still warm, loosen the edges from the pan with a thin knife. Remove from pan with the help of a metal pastry spatula, if necessary. When cooled completely, rub powdered sugar into the top and sides of the panforte with your hands.

Panforte improves with age and will keep up to one year wrapped and packed away in a cool dry place for your journey to the New World. When you open the container, you will be completely blown away by the absolutely other-worldly fragrance of panforte. Buen appetito!