Recipe: Cocoa and Chocolate Bouchons

the appetizer:

Intensely Chocolate: 100 Scrumptious Recipes for True Chocolate Lovers by Carole Bloom, includes recipes like Cocoa and Chocolate Bouchons; Gianduia Brownie Cake; and Cocoa and Bittersweet Chocolate Frangipane Tart.

Cocoa and Chocolate Bouchons

Makes twelve 1-1/2 x 1-1/2-inch cakes

Bouchon is the French word for cork, which is the shape of these individual cakes. They are bursting with full-bodied chocolate flavor from Dutch-processed cocoa powder mixed with boiling water to bring out its deepest flavor notes, melted bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate, and more bittersweet chocolate added to the batter as chunks. I like to serve them with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries, but they are equally divine served with Salted Caramel-Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce (page 203 of the book), Hot Fudge Sauce (page 202), or whipped cream.

Special Equipment: one 12-cavity 1-1/2 x 1-1/2-inch silicone bouchon pan; 1-inch-diameter ice cream scoop

Bouchons

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 to 72% cacao content), finely chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
3 ounces (6 tablespoons, 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1-1/2 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1-1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1-1/2 ounces) cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher or fine-grained sea salt
1-1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 to 72% cacao content),
chopped into small chunks

Garnish

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, sifted
Fresh raspberries

Raspberry Sauce

1 cup (4-1/2, ounces) fresh or fresh-frozen raspberries, thawed
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon framboise, Chambord, Kirsch, or Grand Marnier

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the bouchon pan on a baking sheet.

Place the cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl. Add the boiling water and use a heat-safe silicone spatula to stir until it forms a smooth paste. Add the vanilla and stir together to blend thoroughly.

Melt the finely chopped bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates and the butter together in the top of a double boiler over hot water, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula to ensure even melting. Or melt the chocolates and butter in a microwave-safe bowl on low power in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst. Remove the top pan of the double boiler, if using, and wipe the bottom and sides very dry.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg briefly to break up the yolk. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk together until smooth. Add the cocoa paste and chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly.

Over a bowl, sift together the cake flour and baking powder. Add the salt and toss to blend. Add this mixture to the chocolate mixture in 2 stages, blending thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Use a 1-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a spoon to divide the batter evenly among the cavities of the bouchon pan. Bake the cakes for 20 to 23 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of a couple of the cakes comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it.

Transfer the bouchon pan to a rack to cool completely. Invert the pan over the cooling rack to release the cakes, then turn them right side up.

Lightly dust the tops of the bouchons with confectioners' sugar.

For the raspberry sauce, pulse 1 cup raspberries in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade until they are pureed into liquid, about 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and a fine-mesh strainer, strain the raspberry puree into a medium bowl. Push through the strainer as much of the liquid as possible without the seeds. Add the superfine sugar, lemon juice, and liqueur to the raspberry puree and blend thoroughly.

Serve each bouchon at room temperature with a spoonful of the raspberry sauce and garnish with a few fresh raspberries.

Keeping

Store the bouchons tightly wrapped in aluminum foil up to 3 days at room temperature. To freeze up to 4 months, place the cakes in an airtight plastic container. Wrap the container tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Use a large piece of masking tape and an indelible marker to label and date the contents. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.