Chocolate Bouchons

These are small, brownie-like cakes.  They are very rich and chocolaty.  I bake mine in silicon cannele molds, but they could be baked in a mini muffin pan.

Chocolate Bouchons

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
24 Tbsp. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, 55%, chopped into pieces the size of chocolate chips
Confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray molds or mini muffin pans with nonstick spray.

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.)

Fill silicone cannele molds or mini muffin pans 2/3 full.  Easy to fill with a pastry bag if available.  Place in oven and bake for 20-25 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.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  After a couple minutes, invert the molds or pan.  Cool.

To serve, dust with confectioners sugar.

Best eaten the day they are baked.