Make chocolate bonbons yourself

Melt 58 g White couverture Microwave for 1 minute at 600 watts and set aside.

Weigh 18 g Whole milk powder, 33 g whole milk and 5 g sugar directly into a saucepan.

Mix everything well with a whisk. Then add the 58 g of melted white chocolate.

Heat the mixture to 70 °C using a Thermometer. Stir constantly so nothing burns on the bottom of the pan. Once the temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat.

For extra crunch, stir 1 tbsp caramelised hazelnuts into the ganache.

Place an opened piping bag in a measuring cup. This leaves both hands free and makes filling much easier.

Pour the ganache into the bag and seal the end with a clip. Keep the bag in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate shells.

Now the milk chocolate gets tempered. Don't worry: if you stick to the temperatures, everything will work out perfectly!

Warm 180 g Milk couverture in the microwave at 600 watts for 1 minute, then stir it well with a dough scraper. The chocolate should reach 43 to 45 °C. If it is too cold, microwave it again at 600 watts for a few seconds. It must not rise above 50 °C, or it will burn. I measure the temperature with an infrared thermometer, which is super handy.

Once the chocolate has the right temperature, add 60 g Milk couverture. Stir well and let the drops melt slowly.

Important: do not heat the chocolate again now. If you kept to the temperatures beforehand, the drops will melt slowly and the chocolate will reach the right temperature on its own.

In the meantime, prepare the molds. I use two molds for mini eggs. Polish all the cavities with a piece of cotton wool: this removes fine dust and prevents marks on the chocolate.

The chocolate is ready as soon as all the drops have melted. Check the temperature: it should now have dropped to 30 to 32 °C.

Place a cake rack over a catch tray or a sheet of baking paper so that excess chocolate is caught.

Pour the chocolate into the mould and fill the cavities completely. Spread the chocolate with a dough scraper so that it reaches every corner.

Turn the mould over and tap the handle of the chocolate scraper on it so that the excess chocolate runs out.

Scrape off the excess with the chocolate scraper so that the mould is as clean as possible. Place the mould upside down on the cake rack for 5 minutes. Scrape off the excess chocolate once more, then put the mould in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Check the temperature of the chocolate before you pour the second mould. It should always be between 30 and 32 °C. If it isn't, warm it in the microwave at 600 watts for 10 seconds.

After the 10 minutes, fill the cavities with the ganache. Note: don't fill them completely, but leave about 2 mm free so that you can close them neatly later. Put the mould back in the freezer for another 10 minutes.

While the ganache sets in the freezer, check the temperature of the chocolate. If it is too cold, put it in the microwave for a few seconds. It should be 30 to 32 °C.

Pour the chocolate over the mould and spread it with a dough scraper. Use the chocolate scraper to remove the excess. If a little ganache shows through, that's no problem.

Put the moulds in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. If you have kept to the temperatures exactly, the egg halves will release from the mould by themselves!

If some are still stuck, tap the mould lightly on the work surface. If they still don't come loose, put the mould back in the freezer for a few more minutes and try again.

For assembling, warm an empty pot for just a few seconds so that the base becomes warm.

Place two egg halves with their flat side briefly on the warm base of the pot. This melts them very slightly so they stick together. Press the two halves together, and your little chocolate bonbons are ready!

Wrapped in colourful foil, the chocolate bonbons look really pretty: ideal for a homemade Easter nest or as a gift. In any case, they were gone in no time at our place!