These chocolate "corks" are little bite-sized treats that will satisfy almost anyone's chocolate cravings.
These chocolate corks, or bouchons au chocolat, are deeply flavored with two kinds of dark chocolate plus dark chocolate chips, espresso (to bring out the chocolate flavor), and a little bit of dark rum.
The flour to chocolate ratio is clearly a chocolate lover's dream. There are only 40 grams of cake flour (and one egg) providing structure to about 120 grams of chocolate and 90 grams of butter in the batter. The resulting flavors are deeply chocolatey yet the texture is still very light.
I actually have another chocolate bouchon recipe on this site. It's the one from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery cookbook.
This version is from Gâteau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes by Aleksandra Crapanzano. First, I wanted another excuse to use my bouchon silicone mold pan. Second, I wanted to compare the two recipes.
The Differences in the Recipes:
Both recipes are amazing. The Thomas Keller version is a little more brownie-like, a bit more dense. This version seems lighter and more complex in flavor. You can actually eat just one and satisfy your chocolate cravings for the day.
More differences? This version includes espresso, rum, brown sugar, and less eggs. Plus, this version includes both cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate, while the Keller version includes just cocoa powder.
In addition, the mini chocolate chips added to the final dough are bittersweet. I couldn't find bittersweet mini chocolate chips, so I chopped some larger bittersweet chips and added them. You could also chop a bittersweet chocolate bar.
I think you should try them both and let me know what you think!
How to Make these Chocolate Corks:
First, mix hot espresso with cocoa powder and mix in the rum.
Next, melt the butter with the bittersweet chocolate. I used the microwave to do this, but you can also use a double boiler.
After that, beat the eggs in a stand mixer, add granulated and brown sugar, and add the espresso and cocoa powder mixture. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and fold them in. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Finally, add two tablespoons of the batter into each of the cavities of the pan you are using and bake for about 20 minutes.
Be sure to take your time before unmolding the corks so that they come out easily.
Equipment You May Need:
The silicone pan I used seems not to be available anymore. Alternatives can include a mini muffin pan, a mini popover pan, a cannele mold, a mini cheesecake pan (which I love for making cheesecakes too), or a silicone brownie pan.
Recipe Variations:
The cookbook offers a lot of variations, including substituting Cointreau, Frangelico, or Crème de Framboise for the rum for different flavors.
Welcome to this Month's Cake Slice Bakers.
Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is Gâteau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes by Aleksandra Crapanzano. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!
Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.
The Cake Slice Bakers also have a Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.
Our choices for March 2023 were ~
Chocolate Corks
- All That's Left Are The Crumbs
- A Little Bit of All Right
- Karen's Kitchen Stories
Blood Orange, Semolina and Almond Upside-Down Cake
Chocolate Corks (Bouchons au Chocolat)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons hot espresso
- 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 115 grams 70% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 40 grams (1/3 cup) cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 45 grams mini bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 12 cavity mini bouchon pan or muffin pan with spray oil. If it is a silicone pan, place it on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, pour the hot espresso over the cocoa powder. Stir to dissolve and then add the rum. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the butter and bittersweet chocolate and microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs until just broken up. Add the sugars and beat until combined. Add the espresso, chocolate, and rum mixture along with the butter and bittersweet chocolate mixture and beat until combined.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Fold everything together and then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Add two tablespoons of the batter into the 12 cavities of the bouchon mold.
- Bake the little cakes for 20 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes.
- Turn the corks out of the pan and serve them, top side up, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
178.89Fat (grams)
11.11 gSat. Fat (grams)
7.01 gCarbs (grams)
17.88 gFiber (grams)
1.3 gNet carbs
16.59 gSugar (grams)
12.56 gProtein (grams)
2.05 gSodium (milligrams)
79.02 mgCholesterol (grams)
31.17 mg
Well, of course you have a bouchon pan LOL...they look wonderful Karen.
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