HAZELNUT CARAMEL TOFFEE BON BONS: National Chocolate Covered Nut Day!

Today is National Chocolate Covered Nut Day! I've posted lots of  recipes for Chocolate Covered Nuts, but here's a link to one of my favorite chocolate covered nut recipes: Hazelnut Caramel Toffee Bon Bons! This easy recipe is from the Hazelnut Council. Go Nuts Today! 

HAZELNUT CARAMEL TOFFEE BON BONS

Ingredients

3/4 cup Hazelnuts, toasted, skin removed, divided
1/4 cup Toffee candy bits
1 1/4 cups (10oz) Semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1/2 cup Heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Salt
20 (6oz) Caramels, unwrapped, cut in half
40 Hazelnuts, whole, toasted, skin removed

Directions

Process 1/4 cup hazelnuts and toffee in food processor or blender until finely ground; set aside.
Microwave chocolate chips and cream in small microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 to 1 1/2
minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until most of chocolate is melted. Do not overheat; lumps will melt when stirred. Stir in hazelnut mixture, vanilla and salt until blended. Cover and set aside until cool, about 1 1/2 hours.
Flatten caramel piece and wrap around one whole hazelnut forming a round ball; repeat. Dice remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts; set aside.
Form 1 heaping teaspoon chocolate mixture around each caramel and roll in diced hazelnuts. Let
set until firm.

Tip: When handling ganache, work quickly in a cool room.

Hazelnut Caramel Toffee Bon Bons: Chocolate Covered Nuts Day!

Today is National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day! Go Nutty. Celebrate with Hazelnut Caramel Toffee Bon Bons to celebrate the day! Have some Chocolate Covered Nuts today!d This easy recipe for chocolate covered Hazelnuts is from the Hazelnut Council

HAZELNUT CARAMEL TOFFEE BON BONS

Ingredients

3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skin removed, divided
1/4 cup toffee candy bits
1 1/4 cups (10oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
20 (6 oz) caramels, unwrapped, cut in half
40 hazelnuts, whole, toasted, skin removed

Directions

Process 1/4 cup hazelnuts and toffee in food processor or blender until finely ground; set aside. Don't overprices or you'll have oil.
Microwave chocolate chips and cream in small microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 to 1 1/2
minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until most of chocolate is melted. Do not overheat; lumps will melt when stirred. Stir in hazelnut mixture, vanilla and salt until blended. Cover and set aside until cool, about 1 1/2 hours.
Flatten caramel pieces and wrap around one whole hazelnut forming a round ball; repeat. Dice remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts; set aside.
Form 1 heaping teaspoon chocolate mixture around each caramel and roll in diced hazelnuts. Let
set until firm.

Tip: When handling ganache, work quickly in a cool room.

CHOCOLATE FIG BON BONS

Don't you just love the term Bon Bons? Good-Good. Oui! Oui!  Bon Bon is the word for candy in French, so Bon Bon would include all types of candy from hard candy to taffy to chocolate-covered confections. But I don't live in France, so the Bon Bons I'm referring to in today's post have a hearty fig filling covered in chocolate! This is a classic Bon Bon. This recipe is adapted from the Valley Fig Growers site.


Chocolate Fig Bon Bons
 Makes about 25 bon bons

Ingredients
8 ounces Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid Calimyrna or Mission Figs, stems removed
2/3 cup (3 oz.) toasted hazelnuts or almonds
8 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup rum
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
5 ounces dark chocolate (65% cacao +)
Vegetable oil

Directions
Process figs, hazelnuts, and vanilla wafers in food processor until finely ground.
Add powdered sugar, rum, and orange peel; process until mixed.
Dampen hands and shape mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls.
Arrange close together on a baking sheet.
In small, deep, microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate on High 1-2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Add a few drops of vegetable oil if needed to make chocolate thin enough (if needed) to dip.
Dip each ball in chocolate holding between two forks, letting extra chocolate drip off.
Put chocolate dipped Fig Bon Bons on second baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Eat or Store in airtight container up to 1 week.

Chocolate Fig Bon Bons

Don't you just love the term Bon Bons? Good-Good. Yes! Yes!  Bon bon is the word for candy in French, so bon bon would include all types of candy from hard candy to taffy to chocolate-covered confections.  But I don't live in France, so the  Bon Bons  I'm referring to today have a hearty fig filling covered in chocolate! This is a classic Bon Bon.

Figs: In January I posted two recipes for Chocolate Covered Dried Figs, one stuffed with walnuts. Here's a totally different recipe that uses chocolate & dried figs to make a perfect Bon Bon! As always, I'm all about easy. This recipe is adapted from the Valley Fig Growers site.


Chocolate Fig Bon Bons
 Makes about 25 bon bons

Ingredients
8 ounces Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid Calimyrna or Mission Figs, stems removed
2/3 cup (3 oz.) toasted hazelnuts or almonds
8 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup rum
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
5 ounces dark chocolate (65% cacao +)
Vegetable oil

Directions
Process figs, hazelnuts and vanilla wafers in food processor until finely ground.
Add powdered sugar, rum and orange peel; process until mixed.
Dampen hands and shape mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls.
Arrange close together on a baking sheet.
In small, deep, microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate on High 1-2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Add a few drops of vegetable oil if needed to make chocolate thin enough (if needed) to dip.
Dip each ball in chocolate holding between two forks, letting extra chocolate drip off.
Put chocolate dipped Fig Bon Bons on second baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Eat or Store in airtight container up to 1 week.