Coffee Cream is a steady favorite in the shop because the flavor is familiar, but the finished piece is still unmistakably a bonbon. We make the center as an opera cream and give it a bold coffee flavor that is softened by the cream.
The chocolate shell has a job to do before you taste the center. It needs to be firm enough to give a clean snap, but thin enough that it does not take over the bite. Once it breaks, the smooth center comes through quickly.
The coffee has some bitterness, but it is not harsh. The cream rounds it out and leaves a soft finish instead of the dry edge you might get from a cup of strong coffee. It is a simple combination, which is part of why it works.
You can find the Coffee Cream bonbons in milk or dark chocolate. I usually reach for the dark chocolate when I want the coffee to stay in front, and milk chocolate when I want the whole piece to be gentler.