The Summer Collection Chef Notes

Every June, the first thing we look for isn't chocolate. It's fruit. Before a single bonbon is made, Chef Sandy visits the Santa Monica Farmers Market to pick summer’s peak fruit and discover the ingredients that will compromise our Summer Collection. Read the chef notes

The result is an edible portrait of the season that combines raspberries, peaches, kumquats, mango, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries with herbs, tea, florals, balsamic and roasted nuts.

Raspberry & Almond Shortbread Gianduja
Layers of raspberry pâte de fruit and peach ganache are paired with shortbread almond gianduja. A bit of black pepper adds subtle warmth and aromatic complexity. Bright, fruit-forward, and gently spiced, this bonbon showcases the character of a summer market harvest.

Kumquat Mango
Bright kumquat marmalade, made by slowly cooking and puréeing whole kumquats, brings a lively citrus snap that is balanced with a silky mango white chocolate ganache. The result is tropical and fragrant, with the kumquat’s natural bitterness adding structure to the mango’s rounded sweetness. Vivid citrus and lush tropical fruit join to become a vibrant, creamy, and deeply aromatic bonbon.

Strawberry & Aged Balsamic
Fragrant market strawberries are layered with aged balsamic and fresh basil in this garden-inspired bonbon. The strawberry brings lush sweetness, while the balsamic adds depth, acidity, and a slow, rounded finish. A finishing touch of basil lends a delicate herbal lift.

Cherry Blossom & Matcha
Market cherries are cooked into a concentrated pâte de fruit giving the bonbon a deep, wine-like fruit character. Combined with preserved cherry blossoms for floral salinity and Kettl’s Uji Homare matcha for an earthy, elegant bitterness, the bonbon balances ripe cherry intensity with the quiet complexity of tea and blossom.

Blueberry & Almond Streusel Praline
Market blueberries are cooked into a snappy, high-acid pâte de fruit that captures the fruit’s clean sweetness and vivid berry character. Paired with an almond-hazelnut crumble, the bonbon balances juicy intensity with roasted nuttiness and delicate texture. Fresh, lively, and deeply fruit-forward, it offers a crisp expression of summer berries with a warm, buttery finish.

Blackberry & Shiso
Market blackberries are folded into a lush ganache seasoned with a fragrant shiso-steeped blackberry liqueur and pink peppercorns. The fruit brings deep berry richness and gentle acidity, while shiso adds an herbal, almost citrusy lift. Pink peppercorn contributes a delicate floral spice that enhances the blackberry’s complexity without overpowering it.