Original Piedmont bonet: chocolate pudding with amaretti. Bonet from Piedmont is a traditional dessert typical of the Langhe, sometimes also called bunet. It has ancient origins and before the discovery of America there was a white version different from the current cocoa one. Being a traditional recipe, every family has its own version: some add rum or fernet, some like to add coffee and some do not. Some use milk and some use cream; in short, it is a very well-known dessert, a velvety and extremely delicate pudding that closely resembles the Creme caramel, but it doesn’t have a single interpretation. My version of the bonet is without cream, for example. The grandmother’s Piedmont bonet recipe that I’ll give you truly comes from a grandmother, but from a dear Milanese friend of mine. I’m Sicilian and only knew of this dessert by reputation, but some time ago I was in Milan and as a guest of this dear friend, whose grandmother is from Turin, I ate it for the first time and fell in love at the first bite. So I got some tips and the ingredients to recreate it on my blog: curious to know the grandmother’s Turinese bonet recipe? Here it is — try it because it’s a really good, refined and showy dessert. Before rushing to the stove, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven, Bain-marie
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make the original Piedmont Bonet
- 2 cups + 1 tbsp (approx. 500 ml) whole milk
- 4 eggs (large)
- 3 oz (about 6 3/4 tbsp; approx. 85 g) sugar
- 1.2 oz (about 7 tbsp; approx. 35 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2.1 oz (about 60 g) amaretti (dry amaretti cookies)
- coffee (espresso)
- rum (baking rum, I didn't use it)
- 2.8 oz (about 6 1/2 tbsp; approx. 80 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Tools
- Oven
- Loaf pan for a 8 in loaf pan
- Baking tray for water bath
- Hand whisk
- Bowl
- Spatula silicone
- Small saucepan nonstick
Steps
Crumble the amaretti and place them in a bowl, then add the unsweetened cocoa powder and the sugar.
Mix everything, add the eggs and gently combine with the whisk, then add the milk little by little. Add the coffee and the rum and mix until homogeneous.
Put the (second) sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, preferably nonstick, add the water and place over low heat. Stir continuously with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon and wait for the sugar to melt, then pour it into the mold and, using the spatula, coat it with caramel up to halfway, also covering the edges. Sugar melts at 186°C (about 367°F) — BE CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING IT AND WHEN HANDLING THE MOLD, because it will become very hot, and be quick since the caramel sets immediately.
Pour the mixture into the caramel-coated mold; don’t worry if it looks liquid — that’s its normal consistency.
Place the mold inside a larger roasting pan and fill the pan with water until it reaches halfway up the mold; the pudding must be cooked in a bain-marie (water bath).
Put into a preheated oven at 180°C (about 356°F) and bake for approximately 60–80 minutes or until you see the mixture pulling away from the edges.
Let it rest in the switched-off oven for 30 minutes, then let cool and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Garnish the bunet with additional amaretti and serve.
This dessert keeps in the refrigerator for 48 hours if stored in an airtight container.
To unmold the dessert, warm it gently for about 15 seconds over the lowest heat on a small burner and then invert it onto a plate.
Storage notes and tips
Storage:
Piedmont bonet keeps perfectly in the refrigerator for 2–3 days, covered with plastic wrap or stored inside an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing odors.
Before serving, it is advisable to leave it a few minutes at room temperature, so the texture becomes creamy again and the amaretti aroma will be more pronounced.
Tips:
To obtain a perfect bonet it is important to bake it in a bain-marie and not to overcook it, so as to preserve the soft and velvety consistency typical of this traditional Piedmontese dessert.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Piedmont bonet be made without rum?Yes, the rum can be replaced with marsala, amaretto liqueur or coffee, or it can simply be omitted.
Can bonet be frozen?
Freezing the bonet is not recommended because the pudding’s texture could change after thawing.
Which amaretti should be used for bonet?
For the traditional recipe, dry amaretti are used, which give the dessert its characteristic aroma.
Does bonet need to be cooked in a bain-marie?
Yes, cooking in a bain-marie is essential because it allows the dessert to cook slowly without becoming too dense.
