Chocolate Bouchons!

Here is my take on the Chocolate Bouchon recipe I found after a mad search for something that would allow me to use my prized Valrhona Equatoriale (55%)...not to exaggerate or anything, but this is damn fine chocolate, and I wasn't about to waste it on just any recipe. I needed something rare and rich. I came upon a great re-make of the chocolate bouchon recipe from, where else, Bouchon Bakery! I put my faith in this blogger's take on the soft, moist chocolate cakes. However, I almost had a small coronary when I realized that I didn't have enough butter (24tablespoons) since my Christmas cookie baking spree wreaked havoc on my once-growing supply. After a moment of panic, I pulled out my oversized jar of olive oil and measured out the rest, mixed it with my 10 tbspns of melted butter, and said a few Hail Marys. It worked.



The Recipe:
Bouchon Bakery uses 2-ounce fleximolds and serves smaller bouchons. 3-ounce (2-inch to 2-1/2-inch diameter) timbale molds or silicon muffin molds can be used for larger cakes. I don't have silicon molds, though, so I just used my cupcake tins.

Recipe Makes 12 servings of the smaller bouchons or 16 brownies using muffin molds.

Ingredients:
Butter and flour for the timbale molds
3-1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (12 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm **I only had 10 tblspns of butter available, so I substituted with pure olive oil. However, if you've got the butter, use it!
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, such as Valrhona Equatoriale (55%) chopped into pieces the size of chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 12 timbale molds. Set aside.

2) Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in another large bowl if using a handheld mixer, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until very pale in color. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the butter, and continue alternating with the remaining flour and butter. Add the chocolate and mix to combine. (The batter can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

3) Put the timbale molds on a baking sheet. Place the batter in a pastry bag without a tip, or with a large plain tip, and fill each mold about 2/3 full. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (30 to 32 minutes for the muffin pans). When the tops look shiny and set (like a brownie), test one cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick. It should come out clean but not dry (there may be some melted chocolate from the chopped chocolate). Transfer the bouchons to a cooling rack. After a couple of minutes, invert the timbale molds and let the bouchons cool upside down in the molds; then lift off the molds. (The bouchons are best eaten the day they are baked.)

4) To serve: Invert the bouchons and dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with ice cream if desired.

[Recipe via Bouchon by Thomas Keller]

The Result: moist, chocolate-y bouchons. I used my special stash of earth-friendly cupcake holders, since they were intended (mostly) for care packages destined for Dallas and Boston and I didn't want them to arrive as anything but in fanciful order.


enjoy!