One of the many advantages of coffee is that it can be used as the basic ingredient for many desserts, one of which is the mouth-watering coffee Bonet. This typical Piedmontese dessert is in fact the perfect dessert to serve at the end of a meal, but it also works great as a mid-afternoon snack.
No matter what time of day you decide to enjoy it, however, you must first know how to prepare coffee Bonet. Luckily for you, it is a quick and easy recipe, suitable for every season. We, who love coffee, have had fun experimenting with different variations of it and we have decided to share with you the ones we liked best!
History and origins of coffee Bonet
Before revealing the recipes for coffee Bonet that we have personally experimented with, we would like to tell you a little more about this delicious dessert which, as we have already mentioned, originates from Piedmont: more precisely, from the splendid territories of the Langhe and Monferrato.
Its history dates back as far as the 13th century, when it was served as a dessert at the end of sumptuous medieval banquets. The real legends, however, are those that have arisen around its name. It seems, in fact, that the term ‘Bonet’ referred to a typical hat of the time, of which the cake took the shape; according to another version, however, the reason for this name is to be found in the fact that it is a food to be served at the end of a meal, i.e., ‘to cap the meal’.
Regardless of the real origin of its name, however, what counts is the unquestionable goodness of the Bonet, which originally did not have coffee added. The truth, however, is that this ingredient has enriched it with a special aromatic note, making it even more delicious: this, of course, provided you use a properly prepared coffee.
After all, you too will agree that if you want to drink good coffee, you should do it with the right machine. That is why we invite you to take a look at our lever machines and discover the right coffee machine for you: the one that will help you prepare a mouth-watering coffee Bonet!
Making good coffee, however, is only the first step. In order to make a superlative Bonet you also need to get all the other ingredients and follow the step-by-step instructions we are going to give you.
Coffee Bonet: the basic recipe
To prepare this first coffee Bonet recipe, you will need the traditional ingredients, including:
- 260 g whole milk;
- 110 g fresh liquid cream;
- 100 g di espresso coffee;
- 4 eggs;
- 90 g caster sugar;
- 90 g macaroons ;
- 50 g bitter cocoa powder;
- 1 vanilla pod;
- Salt to taste
You will need this first list to compose the dessert base. In addition, you will also need to get the ingredients to create the caramel, which are:
- 50 g caster sugar;
- 20 g espresso coffee.
Finally, for the final decorations you will need:
- 60 g fresh liquid cream;
- 5 g powdered sugar;
- Coffee beans to taste.
Procedure
Prepare the caramel by boiling the sugar and coffee in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and create the caramel effect by swirling the saucepan. When you have a thick and golden syrup, remove it from the heat and pour it into the bottom of the mould.
Then proceed to boil the milk, together with the cream and coffee. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the sugar, adding the vanilla, the previously sieved cocoa, the salt and the chopped macaroons. Combine the mixture with the milk, cream and coffee you have boiled, mixing everything well.
At this point your coffee Bonet is practically ready: all you have to do is transfer it inside the mould with the caramel base, which you will then have to place in a high-sided baking tin filled with hot water up to half the height of the mould. Once this is done, place it in a static oven set at 150° for 60 minutes.
After this time, you can take the Bonet out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature, without removing it from the water. Once cooled, you will only have to put it in the fridge for about 2 – 3 hours, after which it will finally be ready to be served, obviously garnished with whipped cream and coffee beans.
Coffee Bonet: the variation with rum
If you plan to serve coffee Bonet at the end of a dinner with your friends, you can prepare it with the addition of a special ingredient that can give it a slight alcoholic note: rum!
To make this variation of the recipe, you still have to stick to the basic preparation, with the difference that, when whipping the eggs, you will have to flavour them with 2 – 3 tablespoons of rum: a small difference for a great (and delicious!) result. And if you like a further aromatic touch, we recommend adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to your caramel, enriching its flavour with a pleasant sweet and sour note.
As you can see for yourself, the beauty of the coffee Bonet is that you can make it with many different ingredients, which you can freely decide whether to include or not. It all depends on your personal taste, but also on the occasion when you serve the dessert, which, no matter how it is prepared, will always guarantee a unique taste!
Conclusion
As we previously revealed, the original recipe for Piedmontese Bonet initially did not include the addition of coffee. However, once it began to include this ingredient, it has hardly abandoned it since, as it has the merit of endowing this dessert with a very special flavour.
Even for us, who love coffee, find it hard to describe to you in words how delicious coffee Bonet is, which is why we can only advise you to taste it yourself, perhaps after having prepared it with an excellent coffee from our lever machines!