A chocolate with a cherry filling—for Cherry Blossom Day
In Japan, cherry blossoms are celebrated on March 27—a symbol of the beginning of a new cycle and the question of what will come of these blossoms. What is visible today as a splendor of blossoms becomes a harvest just a few months later. And often, it results in a surplus. For good years bring not only quality but also quantity—more than the market can immediately absorb.
Surpluses and byproducts are not exceptions here, but rather part of the system. Nature and the weather are unpredictable, and yet this very unpredictability holds potential: for new products, new connections, and new forms of value creation—provided the right stakeholders come together.
This is exactly where we come in.
Through our work within the United Against Waste network and on various projects, we bring together stakeholders along the value chain in a targeted manner. Here’s an example: Through UAW’s StreamUp mentoring program, we established contact with PureUp. The startup led by Felix Schwander processes surplus fruit into high-quality purees for further processing. At the same time, it became clear that the 2025 cherry harvest would be particularly bountiful. What followed was no coincidence, but rather the result of effective collaboration: Felix Schwander and Claude Winter from the agricultural cooperative fenaco connected through UAW, SDSN, and AvenirAlimentaire. The situation was clear—large quantities of cherries that could not be fully sold on the fresh produce market. The solution was equally clear: processing them into cherry puree—a stable, versatile ingredient.
The basis for this praline.
We deliberately developed and produced the praline ourselves—not as a showpiece, but as a logical extension of our approach. Anyone who talks about processes, losses, and potential should also be able to put them into practice. This is where our strength lies: A large part of our team comes from the culinary arts and the food industry. We know processes not only from analysis but also from implementation. It is precisely at this intersection that solutions that work are created.
The praline is more than just a product. It demonstrates how a surplus can be transformed into a concrete application—when networking, expertise, and implementation come together. We wish you a happy Cherry Blossom Day and hope you enjoy making these:
Recipe: Cherry Pralines with Basil
Ingredients
- 160 g white chocolate (vegan or classic)
- 50 ml (oat) cream
- 3–4 basil leaves
- Cherry puree (amount as needed) O
- ptional: gelling agent (to thicken the cherry puree)
Equipment
- Chocolate mold Thermometer Spatula or palette knife
- Pot
- Heat-resistant bowl (for the double boiler)
- Wire rack or parchment paper (for cooling) Piping bag with a small-hole tip
- Hand blender
- Hair dryer (to warm the mold)
We made the chocolates using vegan ingredients. However, the recipe also works with regular chocolate coating and cream.
Chocolate Shells
(Alternatively, use chocolate shells or pre-made hollow spheres from a pastry supply store)
Melt 100g of white chocolate coating (vegan) in a double boiler and temper according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Tempering is important so that the chocolates release easily from the mold later and the chocolate becomes “crunchy.” It’s crucial to follow the specified temperatures exactly—it’s better to allow a little extra time; patience is key here.
Pour the tempered chocolate into the mold. Scrape off any excess chocolate with a spatula and let it set briefly (about 30–60 seconds). Then turn the mold upside down (with the opening facing the work surface), let the chocolate drain out, and scrape it off again with the spatula. Let it cool with the opening facing down on a wire rack or parchment paper at 6–12 degrees for at least 15 minutes.
Filling
Reduce the cherry purée to your desired consistency or thicken it with gelling agent. The amount needed depends on the size of the pralines.
For the Basil Ganache
Bring 50 ml of (oat) cream and 3–4 basil leaves to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and let steep for about 30 minutes.
Chop 60 g of white chocolate and melt it over a warm water bath. Warm the cream (do not boil) and blend it until smooth with an immersion blender. Stir the basil cream into the melted chocolate in three batches. Cover the ganache and chill.
Filling the Pralines
Piping bag with a small-hole tip
Fill the praline shells with the cherry purée using the piping bag, leaving about 3 mm to the rim. Add a small (!) dollop of basil ganache to each cherry filling. Gently tap the praline mold several times on the work surface to allow air bubbles to escape from the filling. Rotate the mold and repeat until the filling has a smooth surface.
“Cap” (seal) the pralines and remove them from the mold
Temper the chocolate coating again. Warm the top of the praline mold with a hair dryer. Pour the tempered chocolate coating onto the mold and spread it evenly with a spatula. Tap the mold against the work surface from all sides until no more air bubbles rise. Scrape off excess chocolate coating with the spatula and let the pralines cool at 6–12 degrees for at least 2 hours. Then turn the mold upside down and tap it lightly against the work surface with one edge until all the pralines have released from the mold.
Ihre Ansprechpartnerin: Leonie Küpper
Leonie Küpper begleitet Institutionen auf dem Weg zu einem zukunftsfähigen Ernährungssystem. Als Expertin für Bildung und nachhaltige Entwicklung verbindet sie wissenschaftliche Perspektiven mit praktischem Know-how aus der Gastronomie. Ihr Ziel: Ernährung ganzheitlich denken – ökologisch, sozial und genussvoll.
Was sie auszeichnet: Als ausgebildete Köchin kennt Leonie den Küchenalltag. Mit ihrem Hintergrund in Psychologie und Pädagogik vermittelt sie Nachhaltigkeitsthemen verständlich und praxisnah. Ob in Kitas, Pflegeeinrichtungen oder Grossküchen – sie entwickelt Konzepte, die motivieren und wirken.
Sie möchten den Wandel aktiv gestalten? Leonie Küpper unterstützt Sie mit Konzepten, die bewegen.
Foodways
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