Bonet

Bonet, pronounced like if it were written as “boonet”, is a typical dessert from Piedmont with amaretti biscuits and cocoa.

There are two types of amaretti, soft and hard. For this recipe we need the hard and crunchy ones. They can easily be found in all the major UK supermarkets, the most common brand is shown in the picture below.

I prefer cooking bonets in savarin moulds (circular and with a hole in the middle). You can also use loaf tins or, if you prefer single portions, ramekins.

Ingredients for the caramel:

  • 80g white sugar

Ingredients:

  • 6 whole medium eggs
  • 150g sugar
  • 60g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 200g hard amaretti biscuits
  • 300g double cream (or replace with milk)
  • 450g semi-skimmed or whole milk
  • 1 small cup of espresso coffee or 3 teaspoons of instant coffee (optional)
  • 50g amaretto liqueur (optional)

Serves 8 to 10 people.

Prepare the caramel. Making caramel is easier than most people think, but you need to pay attention because it’s very hot and it gets solid really quickly when the temperature decreases.

Place the sugar in a pan with a thick bottom. The right size for the pan should allow the sugar to cover the bottom completely but the sugar layer should not be thicker than half a centimeter. Turn on the heat and leave on medium-low until the sugar starts to get liquid. Never stir while making caramel!
When the caramel starts getting liquid and bubbling on the sides, turn down the heat. Let cook undisturbed until the caramel is completely liquid and brown, the right colour is the one in the picture below. If most of the sugar seems to have turned into caramel but a few chunks are still hard and white, you can use the tip of a knife to break them.
When the caramel is ready, pour it quickly in the bonet mould. Pay attention because the mould will get hot quickly.

Prepare the bonet. Whisk together 3 eggs, the sugar and the cocoa powder. When mixed well, add the other eggs and mix again. I prepare the mixture starting with 3 eggs so that you can easily mix the ingredients without ending up with lumps of cocoa and without over-whisking. It’s important to avoid over-whisking; too much air ruins the texture of the bonet, so you should also avoid using an electric whisk.

Grind the amaretti biscuits until you get a fine powder. Add to the egg mixture the amaretti powder, the coffee, the amaretto liqueur, the cream and the milk, and mix. Pour the mixture into the mould or ramekins.

Put the mould or ramekins in a bigger ovenproof pan (a roasting pan for instance). Add room temperature water to the pan until it reaches two thirds of the height of the bonet mould.
Place the pan in a preheated oven at 180 °C. Cook the bonet for 60 minutes if you are using a big mould or loaf tin. If the shape of the mould you used makes the mixture very thick you will need to cook the bonet 10 more minutes. If you are using ramekins it will take just 45 minutes.
When the dessert is cooked, remove the pan from the oven and leave the mould in the water until it reaches room temperature.

Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but it’s much better if you prepare the bonet a couple of days in advance. When it’s time to serve, pass a knife around the mould, put a plate upside down on top of the mould, keep the two together with your hands and turn them upside down quickly. Pour the caramel remaining in the mould on top of the bonet. You can decorate with whole or crushed amaretti. Making caramel is easier than most people think, but you need to pay attention because it’s very hot and it gets solid really quickly when the temperature decreases.

Place the sugar in a pan with a thick bottom. The right size for the pan should allow the sugar to cover the bottom completely but the sugar layer should not be thicker than half a centimeter. Turn on the heat and leave on medium-low until the sugar starts to get liquid. Never stir while making caramel!
When the caramel starts getting liquid and bubbling on the sides, turn down the heat. Let cook undisturbed until the caramel is completely liquid and brown, the right colour is the one in the picture below. If most of the sugar seems to have turned into caramel but a few chunks are still hard and white, you can use the tip of a knife to break them.
When the caramel is ready, pour it quickly in the bonet mould. Pay attention because the mould will get hot quickly.