A heart shaped box filled with chocolates makes me smile. It has always been my favorite gift to receive on Valentine’s Day. Not just chocolates, but chocolates nestled in a red box, preferably decorated with cherubs and frilly lace. And if the box were vintage, well, Cupid’s bow would strike right in the center of my heart. H reads all of my posts so I either just made things very easy or very complicated for him. BTW – only dark chocolates please.
Valentine’s Day is my least favorite day of the year to dine out. Restaurants are over-booked, the food usually suffers as a result, and hopes of a super duper romantic evening inflate expectations. I don’t know about you, but sitting in a noisy restaurant, with dozens of people I don’t know, and having the wait staff breathing down my neck to vacate my table as soon as the last bite hits my mouth, well, that’s just not my idea of romantic. Having someone cook dinner for meis romantic – with extra credit if they do the marketing and clean-up.
Preparing and sharing food together can be a very intimate experience, especially if the menu consists of foods which carry the reputation for being aphrodisiacs. Whether or not the aphrodisiac power of certain foods is fact or fiction, I’m not one to argue the sexiness of chocolate – especially when presented in a heart shaped box. Enough with that.
Just a few days ago a copy of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon arrived at my door. Although I plan on setting aside some special time to sit with the book and digest it cover to cover, I had to immediately jump to the recipe for Bouchons. What an imprint these oh so chocolaty little cakes left on my taste buds last year while visiting Bouchon in Napa. Everything I sampled from the bakery was notable, however the bouchon rose above all else.
Thomas Keller describes this bouchon recipe as his take on the All-American brownie. I’venevertasted a brownie this excellent. And as excellent as they are, I wanted to elevate them to even greater heights – something worthy of being presented to that special someone as a Valentine’s Day dessert. In lieu of Keller’s dusting of confectioners sugar, I cloaked them in chocolate glaze and added a pretty decoration. You be the judge. Would you feel loved if someone made these for you on February 14th?
Excellence doesn’t need to be complicated, and these petite chocolate cakes are a decadent testament to that.
Bouchons
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder – highest quality such as Valrhona
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
6 tablespoons beaten egg *
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate, or 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
* Beat two eggs together in a liquid measuring cup then measure out 6 tablespoons of beaten egg.
Note: This recipe calls for a silicone mold designed specifically for bouchons. It is available online at William Sonoma. If a different pan is used, adjust the baking time accordingly.
Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Bouchons
Place 5 tablespoons of the butter in a small bowl. Microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or until completely melted. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter to the bowl and stir until both butters melt together and only small bits of unmelted butter remain. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on medium-low speed. Scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer running, alternating between the two, add the butter and flour mixtures in 3 additions each, mixing to combine well. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chopped chocolate. Set aside in a cool place for 2 hours. (Do not put in the refrigerator.) The batter can be refrigerated for up to two days. Bring back to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. If using a silicone mold, no preparation is needed. If using a metal pan, coat the individual molds with butter. Set aside.
Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip, or use a spoon. Pipe or spoon the batter evenly into the molds, stopping just short of the top rim.
Bake for 15-17 minutes. Test a bouchon with a cake tester, being careful not to hit a chocolate chunk. If the tester comes out clean, the bouchon is done. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Unmold the bouchons onto the rack and cool completely. Prepare the glaze.
Chocolate Glaze
Combine the chocolate and the whipping cream in a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout, or a small bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Stir to combine. If chocolate chunks remain, microwave an additional 15 seconds and stir again. Stir in the corn syrup and set aside.
Place the cooling rack with the bouchons over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour or spoon the glaze over the bouchons, allowing the glaze to run down the sides. Smooth the glaze using a small off-set metal spatula. Do not over-work the glaze. Decorate as desired.
Yield: 8 to 12, depending on size of mold used
