Chocolate Bouchons

Bouchon. Booooshawnnn. Boooshaun.

Leave it to the French to make something super yummy yet impossible to say. Bouchons are little brownie cakes in the shape of a cork. Bouchon means cork in French evidently (...in Spanish it's 'corcho' so no Romance-language connection there). I just love how silly and stumpy they look.

These guys take me right back to two summers ago, working at the SweetLife Bakery in San Anselmo.  I'd make them every day to go along with our jars and jars full of giant cookies. Super chocolatey, dense, screaming for a hot beverage (tea, coffee...whatever floats your boat) to wash them down with.

They are one of my favorite decadent desserts. Simple, but oh so delicious and rich. 

They really let the grade of the ingredients shine. You really don't want to skimp on quality with regards to ingredients for this recipe. High-end cocoa powder and European style butter truly make them that much better. These go beyond your average brownie.

With each bite you really do taste the richness of good quality cocoa, and Plugra butter can do no wrong. I recommend making these if you have guests over for dinner as an end of the meal treat to pair with a warming drink.

They're best to serve the day they're made, but you can always make the batter beforehand, freeze it in the molds and bake them when you want them (as we did at the bakery :D).

Bouchons: (Adapted from Thomas Keller)

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Valrhona)
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1.5 cups plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces unsalted butter (European style), melted and just slightly warm
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (good quality is best!)
Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

Butter a silicon baba mold (I got mine on Amazon) and place on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl. In your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until very thick and pale. Add the vanilla.

Then on low speed add one third of the dry ingredients, and then one third of melted butter. Alternate adding each until everything is thoroughly incorporated (but do not overmix). Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Transfer to a piping bag, and fill the molds just up to the brim (if not a little below). Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are ok!).

Let cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack before inverting the molds carefully to release the bouchons. Transfer to a serving dish and dust with powdered sugar.

And there you go! 

They are so yummy and chocolatey and moist. 

DO IT.