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| Learn to be a chocolatier at Bon Bon Bon |
Bon Bon Bon, a chocolate confectionery in Hamtramck, lives up to its name: it is good, good, good. Pair it with tea and it is mervilleux. Learning to craft such decadence, c'est magnifque!
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| Barb and Rachel with Alex (center), owner of Bon Bon Bon |
Bon Bon Bon's flagship store offers classes in chocolate making under the direction and passion of owner and skilled artisan Alexandra Clark. Knowing this was summer school we'd embrace, Rachel and I signed up for a session in July. We were lucky to get in as these classes sell out quickly.
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| My first box of Bon Bon Bons from Matt for Mother's Day |
I first heard about this wonderful boutique business in May, from Meg Provenzino, owner of Socra Tea - our favorite Detroit tea room. Meg referred us to Bon Bon Bon when we contacted her for some more R & D for upcoming tea and chocolate events. (Bon Bon Bon uses Socra Tea's Earl Grey in two of their special chocolate truffles, "London Fog" and "High Tea".)
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| Adding Earl Grey and other fun ingredients to our bon bons |
That same month, coincidentally, my son, Matt, gave me a box of Bon Bon Bons for Mother's Day (they have a retail shop in the Chrysler Building where he works). They were amazing and the contents of the gift box were emptied quickly but savored slowly - usually with a cup of tea chosen for perfect pairing.
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| Rachel at our work station, ready to unleash bon bon creativity |
Having sampled so many of Bon Bon Bon's sweet delights, I couldn't wait to get some hands on training.
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| Holding up granache, ready to be poured into chocolate shells. |
It was a fun class where we learned to temper chocolate and prepare ganache filling. Each duo worked on a specific recipe and after we completed our lot, we were given the opportunity to get creative and experiment with numerous ingredients. Of course, I made a few with earl grey, but we whipped up exotic concoctions with a variety of unorthodox, but crazy delicious, ingredients.
At the end of the training, each team shared their chocolate creation with the rest of the students. We came home with a dozen truffles based on Bon Bon Bon recipes, along a a couple of our own design.
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| Rachel pipes granache into the shells. |
A good time, with homework we could sink our teeth into!
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| Bon Bon Bon located on Evaline in Hamtramck, soon to move to new location |
Bon Bon Bon is located on Evaline Street, but will be moving down a few blocks in the near future to a new location on Joseph Campau. Check their website for retail stores and classes at bonbonbon.com. (Keep in mind, classes do sell out fast!)
Admittedly, we're overachievers when it comes to studying up on chocolate. Rachel and I enrolled in a Chocolate 101 class at the Hershey museum in 2014 and spent months matching chocolates with select teas to bring out the best flavors in both.
We'll be hosting several Chocolate and Tea events in 2017. Stay tuned to barbsteaservice.com for more information!
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| Overachievers: studying tea and chocolate regularly |
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| Serious students at Hershey Lab, Hershey PA |
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