There are two types of bouchons. First, you have Thomas Keller's famous French bistro, Bouchon. Then you have the bouchon, the cork-shaped dark chocolate brownie that is served at the restaurant - their signature dessert. What is different between a Bouchon brownie and a regular brownie is the dark chocolate cocoa powder that is used - Valrhona is my preference. In fact, the merit of various cocoa powders has even been debated and tested! The result is a dark, decadent and mildly sweet ball of yumminess.
Bouchon brownies are a tricky business. I first had them at the Bouchon in Las Vegas, as a dessert paired with different flavors of ice cream. I then received a box of the Bouchon brownie mix from William Sonoma as part of the whole Bouchon line of mixes, courtesy of Courtney last Christmas. After that, I found the recipe online and attempted to make it at home.
My conclusion? Surprisingly, contrary to what you might think, the Bouchons from the mix are my favorite, better than the ones I make from scratch and even better than the ones from the restaurant/bakery itself. I know pre-made mixes come with a bad rap but in the past couple of years, these gourmet mixes have really started to make their way to the shelves and in my opinion, are worth the hefty price. However, at $18 a pop, the Bouchon mix doesn't really do well for my wallet for all occasions. So I turn to the homemade recipe for a quick and elegant brownie to serve at dinners and as Christmas presents. This last batch came out a tad dry as I am still adjusting to Ray's oven so ended up tossing most of it - will definitely need to watch the cooking time in the future.
Bouchon Brownies
adapted from delish.com
Ingredients
Butter and flour for the timbale molds
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer Valrhona 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 (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, such as Valrhona Equatoriale (55%), chopped into pieces the size of chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour 12 timbale molds (Bouchon Bakery uses 2-ounce Fleximolds and serves smaller bouchons. You can also use 3-ounce [2- to 2 1/2-inch diameter] timbale molds for larger cakes.) Set aside.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl, 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 one-third of the dry ingredients, then one-third 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.)
Put the timbale molds on a baking sheet. Place the batter in a pastry bag without a tip, and fill each mold about two-thirds full.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When the tops look shiny and set (like a brownie), test one cake with a 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.
To serve, invert the bouchons and dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with ice cream if desired. (The bouchons are best eaten the day they are baked.)
