An Anniversary Giveaway!!!!!

Forgive me for being away so long - I've taken on some added responsibilities that have proven to be more time consuming that I had originally realized. I even managed to miss my blog's 1st anniversary, but it's not too late to celebrate, so I'm hosting a giveaway for this neat Williams-Sonoma Silicone Bouchon Mold which retails on their website for $30.

What the heck are Bouchon you ask? They're cute little chocolate cakes made famous by the renowned chef Thomas Keller - owner of The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, and Ad Hoc Restaurants. WS used to sell a boxed mix for these Bouchon, but I don't see it on their site anymore. Thankfully there's a recipe printed on the bouchon box.

So I decided to try the recipe from the box, BUT I noticed a teeny-tiny detail which I thought might cause a problem. You see, the batter is supposed to fill the molds just below the rim, and the finished Bouchon are supposed to have flat tops, but the recipe included baking powder, which we all know makes things rise. I was worried the batter was going to overflow the molds - as you can see, I was right.

So I went on the internet and did a little research. Apparently there's another bouchon recipe out there, directly from the Bouchon Cookbook, and guess what, it didn't include baking powder.

Actually, not only did the recipe not include baking powder, it was completely different than the recipe from the bouchon box. So I gave it a go - they didn't over flow, but they didn't taste very sweet, and they were a bit on the dry side.

So back to the original recipe I went, but with a tweak or two.

My first tweak was to omit the baking powder from the recipe - that batch tuned out a lot better, but the tops weren't as flat as I hoped they would be (on the left).

The second tweak was to reduce the eggs in the recipe - that batch turned out perfectly flat on top with a wonderful brownie-like taste and texture (on the right).

My revised recipe is printed below, and I'll be sure the lucky winner gets a copy included with the mold. Whoever you are, have fun playing around with it... I'm already thinking of other ways to use it - cakes, jellos, ice creams... there are so many possibilities!

I piled 48 of them onto this platter and presented them to a group of hungry teens - this is what the platter looked like just 3 minutes later - they were obviously a huge hit!

Now for the giveaway:

One winner will randomly be picked from the comments left on this post. For multiple chances to win, simply mention this post (including a link to it) on your blog, twitter, facebook page, etc., and let me know in your comment how many chances you should get - honestly please!! A winner will be chosen next Thursday, March 25.

I look forward to picking a winner!

Chocolate Bouchon

makes 12

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed - I tested both)

1/8 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Confectioner's Sugar for dusting

• Preheat oven to 350F. Place the bouchon mold on a sheet pan. Prepare mold with baking spray or shortening.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together gently until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Whisk the sugar, egg, and vanilla together. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together. Add the egg mixture and melted chocolate mixture; combine.
• Fill molds evenly (about 1/8-inch below the rim). Bake for about 20 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when done.
• Place mold on a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the bouchon out of the mold and cool completely. I like to chill my bouchon in the mold before removing.
• Serve with a dusting of confectioner's sugar, a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of fruit sauce, or pop them straight up.

Enjoy!!