Strawberry Ring Pop Shots Bonbons is a sophisticated adult version of the popular eighties candy, with an intense strawberry flavour.
Ring Pops
Do you remember ring pops? These Strawberry Ring Pop Shots Bonbons are inspired by the iconic eighties and nineties candy, reimagined as an elegant grown-up confection with a bold strawberry character. I made these with gift-giving in mind—Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to transform a childhood favorite into an indulgent, boozy chocolate bite.
As a child I wore ring pops like little pieces of jewelry—bright, playful and a bit glamorous. I wasn’t always sold on the flavour back then, but the visual appeal made them irresistible accessories. This recipe leans into that nostalgia while offering a refined, modern flavour profile: real strawberry chocolate shells paired with a lively, boozy berry filling.
Valentine’s Day Diamonds
I used a naturally red strawberry couverture for these bonbons, which makes the shells vivid without additional colouring. If you can’t find a strawberry couverture where you are, you can achieve both colour and flavour with freeze-dried strawberry powder blended into white chocolate, or add colour alone using coloured cocoa butter. Using fruit powder lets you control both intensity and hue by adjusting the amount added.
The concept is simple: cast glossy, faceted chocolate shells in a diamond-shaped mold and fill them with a tart-and-sweet liquid centre that includes berry liqueur. The finished bonbons look like flashy red diamonds—perfect for gifting. They feel extravagant to give and receive, but are surprisingly straightforward to make. With a few basic tempering and filling steps you can create a memorable, adult twist on a childhood treat.
Anatomy Of A Red Diamond
These bonbons are straightforward in construction. The shells are cast from strawberry-flavoured couverture, which gives a deep red colour and real fruit notes without painting or airbrushing. For extra polish I dusted the cavities with a touch of edible lustre, but that step is optional.
The filling is a clean, bright blend: a neutral glaze base combined with berry liqueur, lime zest and lime juice. This combination provides sweetness, boozy depth and a fresh citrus lift. The amounts below are balanced for a delicate yet pronounced strawberry-berry profile, but you can adjust the liqueur or citrus to suit personal taste.
I recorded a short video of the process while making these bonbons to demonstrate key steps—tempering, filling and finishing. If you try this recipe, please share your results on Instagram using the hashtag #isugarcoatit so I can see and share your creations.
Strawberry Ring Pops Shots Bonbons
1 hour
9 bonbons
Method
Ingredients
- 1 mold 113g/14oz cavities
- 200 grams strawberry couverture
- as needed edible lustre dust
- a soft round brush
- 100 grams Absolu Cristal neutral glaze
- 45 grams berry liqueur (for example, a raspberry or black-raspberry liqueur)
- zest of one lime
- 7.5 grams lime juice
Method
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Buff the mold so it is clean and glossy. Use a soft food-safe brush to apply a thin coat of edible shimmer dust inside the cavities if desired. Remove any excess dust with a lint-free towel.
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Temper the strawberry couverture: melt to about 40–45°C, then cool to 27–28°C using seeding or tabling. Reheat to a working temperature of 30–31°C.
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Fill the mold cavities with tempered chocolate, tap to remove air bubbles, then invert the mold to drain. Scrape excess chocolate from the surface and place the mold face down on parchment in a cool part of your workspace to set. Chill for about 10 minutes to help the shells contract, then gently remove the shells to check their shape.
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Combine the neutral glaze, berry liqueur, lime zest and lime juice while cold. Mix until smooth, then transfer the mixture into a piping bag. Pipe the filling into the larger half of each shell.
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Lightly warm the edges of the shallower shell halves and place them over the filled halves to seal. Allow the bonbons to set fully. If needed, trim any uneven joins with a small, sharp knife for a neat finish.
