Spring is a time for celebration! Why not do it with chocolate and wine?

Everything from Easter to Mother´s Day, graduating post-secondary education or simply the start of a new season is a call to raise a glass of your favourite wine. Why not take the celebration one step further by infusing Fleur du Cap Chardonnay or Novas Gran Reserva Carménère Cabernet Sauvignon into a chocolate ganache?

Served warm, and alongside a glass of wine, ganache can be used as a dip for your favourite seasonal fruit our poured over ice cream.

For those who are daring in the kitchen, try the bonbon recipe combining tempered chocolate with either the Fleur du Cap Chardonnay or Novas Gran Reserva Carménère Cabernet Sauvignon ganache for a grown-up Easter treat, or a gift that shows Mom how much you care.

CHOCOLATE BONBONS:

TOOLS: Half-sphere chocolate molds (3cm diameter), metal bench scraper, palette knife, bowls, pots, candy thermometer, spatulas, knife, hand blender, corkscrew.

YIELD: 50 chocolates

PREPARATION:

  1. Prepare the tempered chocolate (see recipe below).
  2. Fill the chocolate molds with tempered chocolate. Tap the mold with a palette knife or metal scraper to release any air bubbles.
  3. Turn the mold upside down over a tray to drain the chocolate, and scrape the excess from the edges. Put the mold down on some parchment paper for few minutes.
  4. Once the chocolate has started to set, scrape the excess chocolate from the top and sides of the mold.
  5. Prepare the ganache. Ganache recipes featuring Fleur du Cap Chardonnay and Novas Gran Reserva Carménère Cabernet Sauvignon are below.
  6. When the ganache has cooled to 26ºC/79ºF, fill up the mold.
  7. Let the ganache set in a cool environment (approx. 17ºC / 63º F) for 12 hours.
  8. Close up the bonbon with some tempered chocolate (you can re-chop and temper any remaining chocolate from step one). Scrape the top of the mold clean.
  9. Let the chocolate set in the fridge for one hour before unmolding.

TEMPERED CHOCOLATE:

INGREDIENTS: 200g high quality chocolate, 68%

PREPARATION:  Chop the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler to exactly 31ºC/ 88ºF. Do not exceed this temperature. Once temperature is reached, the chocolate is ready to be used.

FLEUR DU CAP CHARDONNAY GANACHE

The rich flavours of the citrus fruit-driven Fleur du Cap Chardonnay pair well in contrast to the sweet creaminess of white chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup Fleur du Cap Chardonnay

Zest of ½ a lemon

300g white chocolate

2tbsp butter, cubed

PREPARATION

  1. In a small pot, warm the wine and lemon zest to 122ºF. Let the lemon zest infuse for 10 minutes.
  2. Pour the wine through a strainer to remove the zest.
  3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
  4. Pour the wine over the chocolate and mix until smooth.
  5. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled to 35ºC/95ºF, add the butter.
  6. Emulsify with a hand blender.

NOVAS GRAN RESERVA CARMÉNÈRE CABERNET SAUVIGNON GANACHE

Novas Gran Reserva Carménère Cabernet Sauvignon’s intense fruity notes of ripe strawberry and cherries, and light touch of black pepper stand up against bitter notes of dark chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup Novas Gran Reserva Carménère Cabernet Sauvignon

140g high quality chocolate, 64%

100g high quality chocolate, 68%

¼ cup butter, cubed

PREPARATION

  1. In a small pot, warm the wine to 122ºF
  2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
  3. Pour the wine over the chocolate and mix until smooth.
  4. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled to 35ºC/95ºF add the butter.
  5. Emulsify with a hand blender.

Recipes courtesy of Chef Nadège, Nadège Patisserie