Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bonbon Spiders Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Alternatively, you can do this in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring at each interval.)
• To assemble the spiders: Using the tip of a paring knife, make 3 holes on each side of the truffles, big enough to inset a pretzel into. Break off the curved portions of the pretzels (so you have shapes that look like the letter "J"). You should have 6 J-shaped pretzel pieces per truffle; these will be the legs. (The legs do not have to perfectly even, but try to get them close to the same size.)
• Line a plate with parchment paper. Dip the curved end of a pretzel piece into the melted chocolate and then insert into a hole in a truffle with the curve going down towards the bottom of the truffle; repeat with 5 more pretzel pieces and the melted chocolate. Lay the spider on the prepared plate with the legs up. Repeat with the remaining truffles, melted chocolate and pretzels. Refrigerate or freeze until set, about 10 minutes.
• Flip the spiders over so they are standing on their pretzel legs. Using the melted chocolate, make 2 dots on each truffle for eyes. Stick the desired candies on the melted chocolate. Serve the spiders arranged on a bed of cotton candy.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the hazelnuts to a cup and line the baking sheet with wax paper.
• Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar, rice cereal and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 20 times. Add the chocolate-hazelnut spread and melted butter. Pulse until the mixture comes together in clumps, about 15 times; the mixture should be dry to the touch but hold together when pressed.
• Roll the mixture into teaspoon-size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press a hazelnut into each ball and then press the dough back into a ball shape, leaving part of the hazelnut exposed at the top. Freeze the balls at least 20 minutes to let them firm up.
• Put the chocolate chips, shortening and a pinch of salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the chips on the bottom start to melt, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Gently stick a toothpick into the upper half of a ball, avoiding the hazelnut, and dip into the melted chocolate, leaving the top half uncoated. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off and return the ball to the baking sheet. Smooth over the hole from the toothpick with your fingertip. Repeat with the rest of the balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. You can store the balls covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• In a large pot set over medium heat, add the cream, sugar, sorbitol, inverted sugar, dextrose, peppermint and vanilla seeds, and cook until a candy thermometer inserted in the pot reads 113 degrees F. Cool the mixture to 95 degrees F.
• In a separate pot, heat the butter, dark chocolate and milk chocolate to melt, then cool the chocolate to 86 degrees F. Using an electric hand mixer, blend the chocolate with a little of the cream mixture. Slowly mix in the remaining cream mixture. Cool to 82 degrees F, then pipe into the bonbon molds and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Steps:

• For the filling: Place the tapioca in a pot of water and bring to a boil; cook at a boil until clear, then drain the tapioca. Add the coconut puree to desired consistency.
• For the shell: Melt the chocolate and pour it into the chocolate molds, and then knock them carefully on a hard surface to release any air bubbles. Pour the excess chocolate back into the bowl of warmed chocolate. Scrape the flat portion of the mold to clean off the molds. Cool the shells to harden completely.
• Pour the tapioca into the chocolate molds. Pour more chocolate over the filling, and scrape the excess again, then place the molds in the refrigerator to cool and set up completely.
• To make the chocolate legs, drizzle some melted chocolate on wax paper in long strands, then freeze. Break the chocolate strands into pieces and stick them on the sides of the spiders using some melted chocolate as the glue.

Steps:

• Pulse the chocolate in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a bowl. Add the hazelnuts to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped; transfer to the bowl with the chocolate.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture and chocolate and hazelnuts, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until combined.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper; roll each into a 1-by-9-inch log, using the parchment to help you. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the logs and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Mound 30 small clusters of pecans, about 3 or 4 pecans each, spaced a couple inches apart on the pan.
• Make caramel: Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you cook the sugar.
• Put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage, or 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes.
• Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. Gradually pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture will bubble up. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Immediately remove from the heat and cool for a minute.
• Ladle a couple tablespoons of warm caramel over some of the nut clusters, to make the spider bodies. Then press 6 pieces of licorice into the warm caramel to make the legs. Repeat with the remaining caramel and licorice. (It's helpful to have an extra hand here, since the caramel can set quickly. If caramel hardens, warm over very low heat. ) Let spiders cool 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes more.)
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each spider. Sprinkle with jimmies or chocolate curls, if desired. Let cool until firm.

Steps:

• For the molds: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate. Temper the milk chocolate by melting it first and allowing it cool to about 82 degrees F. Reheat the chocolate to about 88 degrees F for use. Prepare 2 trays of chocolate hemisphere molds (32 pieces per mold) with tempered melted milk chocolate by coating the insides of the mold with a layer of the milk chocolate. Allow to set. Reserve extra tempered chocolate.
• For the praline butter: In a small saucepot over low heat, heat the fondant and invert sugar until soft. In a separate small saucepot over low heat, melt the chocolate. Combine the fondant, melted chocolate, praline, and butter in a separate bowl and mix with an immersion blender until smooth. Place in a piping bag without a tip.
• Using the pastry bag, fill the prepared chocolate hemisphere molds with the praline butter until each mold is about 3/4 full. Cover the praline butter-filled mold with more tempered milk chocolate to seal the bonbon. Scrape the top to remove excess chocolate. Let rest at room temperature until set, 2 to 3 hours.
• Carefully unmold. For the legs, place the remaining tempered milk chocolate in a piping bag and pipe 2-inch lines on strips of parchment paper, cut 3 inches by 6-inches, and curl the paper slightly to create an arc. Hold the shape by placing the paper between 2 sturdy objects, like 2 books. Let the chocolate set. Take each leg and adhere to the unmolded chocolate bonbon with a little additional tempered milk chocolate. Each chocolate mold requires 8 legs.

Steps:

• For the raspberry jelly: Combine the sugar and agar in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Whisk in the cold water and add the glucose syrup. Cook at a gentle boil while stirring until the mixture reaches 223 degrees F, about 8 minutes.
• Remove the agar mixture from the heat and allow to cool to 194 degrees F. Add the raspberry juice, stir to incorporate and pour into 2-inch round silicone candy molds. Allow to set for 45 minutes in the refrigerator.
• For the handcrafted peanut butter: Process the dry roasted peanuts in a spice grinder until smooth. Add the canola oil and process again, then add the agave nectar and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the peanut butter to a piping bag and set aside.
• For the applesauce shortbread: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, applesauce and cream and mix to incorporate, about 1 minute. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and mix until the dough holds together, about 1 minute.
• Transfer the dough to a pastry bag and cut a 1/4-inch opening at the end. Pipe out 2-inch circles of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Transfer the peanut butter to a pastry bag, pipe the peanut butter onto the cooled shortbread cookies and spread it out to the edges. Top each with the cooled and set raspberry jelly.
• To decorate: Put the chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and set the bowl of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth and transfer to a piping bag.
• Cut a small opening at the end of the pastry bag and decorate the tops of each cookie with spider legs.

Steps:

• Bring the glucose to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, gradually add the sugar while stirring constantly. Add the hot cream and allow to boil to 230 degrees F. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the butter, pour into a bowl, and then chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Place a small amount of chopped peanuts in the base of each chocolate shell.
• When the caramel mixture is cold, transfer to a piping bag and pipe the caramel into the chocolate shells, leaving 1/8-inch free at the top. Allow to set overnight at room temperature.
• Seal the back of the bonbons with melted chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, and then turn out of the mold.