Chocolate Bouchons

These Chocolate Bouchons are rich, mini brownie-style cakes made with nutty browned butter, Dutch-process cocoa, and semisweet chocolate chunks, finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar for a decadent, chocolate-forward treat.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

22 cakes

Ingredients

1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup semisweet chocolate baking chunks

Powdered sugar, for dusting

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt 1¼ cups butter over medium heat or until it begins to foam, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until the butter turns golden brown and begins to smell nutty, stirring often. Pour brown butter into a small heatproof bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Brush the insides of 22 (1¾-inch) petite popover molds with the melted butter. Set prepared petite popover pan aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and espresso powder. Whisk in salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium for 2 to 3 minutes or until pale yellow and thickened. Beat in vanilla just until combined. Alternately beat in flour mixture and browned butter, one-third at a time, on low just until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks.
Spoon chocolate batter into a large pastry bag. Cut about 1½ inch off of pastry bag tip. Using even pressure, pipe batter into each prepared petite popover mold, filling each half full.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are shiny and a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in molds on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert molds to remove cakes; cool completely on the wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.