TT Thomas TownsendChef · Melbourne

Bonet Piemontese (Chocolate Amaretto Custard)

Piedmont’s chocolate and amaretto custard, baked over caramel like a crème caramel, served with crushed amaretti and vanilla-poached orange.

By , head chef · Updated

Prep
30 min
Cook
40 min
Total
1 hr 10 min
Serves
6
Level
Medium
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Unmoulded chocolate bonet custard with caramel, crushed amaretti biscuits and orange segments in a speckled bowl

Bonet (or bunet) is what happens when crème caramel goes to Piedmont: cocoa, Amaretto and often crushed amaretti biscuits. It’s one of the great make-ahead dinner party desserts, because it has to rest overnight.

The orange isn’t traditional, but its freshness cuts the chocolate and caramel beautifully.

Ingredients

Serves 6

Caramel

Custard

Orange garnish

Method

Caramel

  1. Cook the sugar in a dry pan over medium heat, swirling, until it becomes a deep amber caramel.
  2. Carefully add the water (it will spit) and stir until all the caramel has dissolved. Divide between six 125 ml moulds or ramekins and let it set.

Custard

  1. Heat the oven to 140°C. Warm the cream, milk, cocoa, vanilla and sugar, whisking until the cocoa is fully mixed in and the sugar dissolved.
  2. Whisk the egg, yolks and Amaretto in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.
  3. Strain, then pour about 100 g into each mould.
  4. Put the moulds in a deep tray, pour in hot water to come halfway up, cover the tray with foil and bake for 30–40 minutes, until set at the edges with a slight wobble in the middle.
  5. Cool, then refrigerate overnight.

To serve

  1. Boil the water, sugar, vanilla and lemon, cool, and pour over the orange segments.
  2. Run a thin knife around each bonet and turn out into a bowl so the caramel runs down. Top with crushed amaretti and add a few orange segments with their syrup.

Chef’s notes

  • Take the bonet out while it still wobbles. It firms up overnight.
  • Dip the base of the mould in hot water for 10 seconds if it won’t turn out.

Questions about this recipe

What is bonet?

Bonet (bunet) is a traditional dessert from Piedmont in northern Italy: a baked chocolate custard with Amaretto, set over caramel and often made with crushed amaretti biscuits.

Can bonet be made ahead?

It has to be. Bonet needs at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, to set, and keeps for 3 days in the fridge.

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