I have always had a distant obsession with bonbons because they sounded super fancy, and yet have never partaken in them until recently.  Megan and I often use the phrase “sitting around each bonbons” as a metaphor for people being leisurely and luxurious.  Corey’s mom gave me a Christmas cookie book this year and I decided to use a couple of recipes from the book for our ornament party.  When I saw the Almond Bonbons recipe, I knew I had to make them.  I wanted to feel leisurely and luxurious too.  Corey requested the Chocolate-Raspberry Bars as chocolate and raspberry are two of his favorite things.  I realize that we are no longer in the holiday season (sads) but I actually think these would make for excellent Valentine’s Day desserts as well.  Or everyday desserts.  Let’s start with the bonbons, shall we?

 

Almond Bonbons (recipe from Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies)

Cookie Ingredients

– 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

– 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

– 1/3 cup powdered sugar

– 2 tablespoons milk

– 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

– 1/2 package (7 or 8 ounces) almond paste (I actually made mine because I couldn’t find it at the store)

Almond Glaze

– 1 cup powdered sugar

– 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

– 4 to 5 teaspoons milk

– sprinkles/crystals for prettiness

What you’ll do:

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees.  If you couldn’t find almond paste at the store, use this recipe to make your own.  Trust me.  If I can do it, you can do it.

2) In large bowl, beat flour, butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla with electric mixer or spoon if you want a workout.

3) The recipe says to cut the almond paste in 1/2-inch slices, then cut each slice into fourths.  However, as I made my own and therefore had a big ball of paste, I just took little pieces about the size of my pinky nail.  Shape a 1 inch ball of cookie dough around each small piece of almond paste.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

4) Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and bottom is golden brown.  Place cookies on cooling rack to cool about 30 minutes.

5) For the glaze, mix all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  Dip the cookies into the glaze and sprinkle with crystals or sprinkles.

 Chocolate-Raspberry Triangles (also from Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies)

Ingredients

– 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

– 3/4 cup sugar

– 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

– 1 package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed and drained (I used normal frozen raspberries because I couldn’t find any with syrup)

– 1/4 cup orange juice

– 1 tablespoon cornstarch

– 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (yah I just used normal size)

– Powdered sugar (I added this because the original recipe wasn’t sweet enough for my liking)

What you’ll do:

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  In small bowl, mix flour, sugar and butter until crumbly.  In bottom of ungreased 13″ x 9″ pan, press dough evenly.  Bake 15 minutes.

2) While dough is baking, in a medium saucepan, mix raspberries, orange juice and cornstarch.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Cool 10 minutes.

3) Sprinkle chocolate chips over crust.  I actually used twice what the recipe called for in chocolate chips because it seemed like there wasn’t enough chocolate.  Carefully spread raspberry mixture over chocolate chips.

3) Bake about 20 minutes longer or until raspberry mixture is set.  Add some chocolate syrup on top.  You’ll thank me later.  Also, if you used the syrupy raspberries, you might be ok, but if not, def add some powdered sugar on top.  Like maybe a lot.  It was not nearly sweet enough.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate is firm.  Cut into triangles.

To be honest, I was not a huge fan of the chocolate raspberry bars.  However, Corey quite enjoyed them, as well as a bunch of people at the ornament party.  If you are into this flavor combo, you might find them to be a delight.  The almond bonbons on the other hand, were fantastic.  More cookie-like than I had expected.  I guess I always thought they were a candy.  Regardless, they will definitely become a part of my cookie arsenal.