Seven innovative bonbons that break new ground in terms of  appearance, flavor, and concept

Who said that everything was already written about bonbons? Who said that the bonbon is necessarily a boring and predictable product?

In so good.. magazine 33, we launched a challenge: we are looking for innovative, even futuristic bonbons that break new ground both in flavors and appearance. It doesn’t matter if they are prototypes of impossible, non-commercial, or predictable bonbons. We are interested in bonbons that are completely different and that invite the reader to think about this product.

Seven of the most creative and audacious chocolatiers on the planet responded to the challenge. And the result couldn’t be crazier.

Discover so good.. magazine #33

Adrián Ciaurriz. Butter as the protagonist

For this challenge, Adrián Ciaurriz, who recently landed at René Redzepi’s Noma restaurant, asked himself: If the artisan can develop their own ingredients, as is the case with nuts, fruits, or even cocoa with bean to bar chocolates, why not do something similar with butter and develop a line that we could call ‘from cow to bonbon?

“This collection has its origins in the Belgian Manon chocolates, chocolate-covered butter bonbons that I first came across with in a formulation course given by Josep Maria Ribé. I immediately saw the possibility of integrating the flavored butters, so traditional in French cuisine, into a themed proposal. The result is an assortment of 5 butter bonbons in which we have looked for different ways to flavor or reach butter from scratch”.

Photo: Ivan Raga

Discover the description and recipe of the five bonbons in so good.. magazine 33

Lluc Crusellas. Roca, a bonbon from another planet

Lluc Crusellas’ planet –Roca–, in addition to its prominent ring of stones (chocair), has an atmosphere made up of small fragments of matter, thanks to the brush painting of the mold. And to reinforce this telluric character, he fills his planet with marzipan and gianduja.

A bonbon from another world with which the Spanish chef demonstrates all his creative potential and his technical skills. Two characteristics that led him to be crowned World Chocolate Master in the latest edition of this competition.

Photo: Ivan Raga

Discover the recipe in so good.. magazine 33

Andrey Dubovik uses unconventional tools

Everything about Andrey Dubovik‘s bonbons is unusual by definition: his self-taught learning, as well as the objects he uses and the applications he gives to professional tools in his designs.

Among the unconventional tools is the ‘wild strawberry and pistachio bonbon’, to which the hot shower technique is applied with a plastic bottle with a perforated cap and hot water.

Photo: Corina Landa

Discover the recipe in so good.. magazine 33

Francisco Migoya. Tobacco aroma

Francisco Migoya, who currently leads research and development of everything encompassing the world of pastry and desserts at the prestigious Noma restaurant, transfers the peculiar aroma of pipe tobacco to a chocolate.

After some unsatisfactory tests, for example when trying to infuse the tobacco in the cream, ‘it was such a high amount of nicotine I could feel my heart racing after just one truffle’; or when smoking the cream ‘with burning tobacco, which resulted in a heavy cream that tasted what I would imagine an ashtray would taste like’, the chef found the way, as he explains in the magazine.

Discover the recipe in so good.. magazine 33

Anthony Hart. The beauty of nature

The pastry chef and photographer Anthony Hart responded to our challenge with a wide range of creations that were as unexpected as they were spectacular. Bonbons with unusual and extraordinary shapes like this beautiful leaf from the exotic Macaranga tree.

“The Macaranga Tanarius is said to have many qualities and is used for many different purposes where this species is found. Although not for food as such, many parts of the plant are being used for bush medicine, dyes, and fruits being added to palm juice, and boiled to crystallise, improving the quality of sugar. The leaves are also used in some countries to wrap jaggery (a non- centrifugal cane sugar). The flavours are a nod to India”. 

Discover the recipe in so good.. magazine 33

Melissa Coppel. A gastronomic journey

Melissa Coppel, who has become a world reference in everything related to the world of bonbons and chocolate bars, invites us to taste a whole menu of international cuisine through five attractive bonbons.

Here we highlight this fresh chocolate bonbon, or petit four, which is a fun version of her favorite pizza: pesto, cheese, tomato and black olives. “When started playing with this idea, my first attempt was to make a pizza-flavored chocolate using dried pizza dough in it. Total olives!I believe the Kalamata chocolate is what makes this bite so special, so I wouldn’t skip this step. Besides, it’s very simple to make”. 

Discover the recipe in so good.. magazine 33

Chris Ford. A luxurious caviar… of chocolate

Chris Ford is now one of his country’s most celebrated chocolatiers, thanks to his artistry and the distinguished list of illustrious clients of his firm ButterLove&Hardwork (BLHW), which includes Madonna, The Kardashians, John Legend or Louis Vuitton.

His proposals for so good.. magazine were inspired by a recent trip to Italy. “I wanted to recreate common food items with the amazing products I recently discovered. Using Domori chocolate was the main initiative after tasting the quality behind the brand. Envisioning the classic luxurious caviar as chocolate caviar. It is the purest forms of delicacy in food, but presented using the world’s best chocolate”.

Discover the recipe in so good.. magazine 33

Discover so good.. magazine #33