Chocolate Friands

These are pockets of love for the average chocolate fan: they melt in the mouth like pillows of butter with a moist chocolatey crumb. And best thing of all, my number one guinea pig, my sister, approves!! The one who gives a cold shoulder to chocolate puddings and pies and ice creams and every other chocolate thing in the world.

I added pure vanilla and a sprinkle of instant espresso to the batter since I do that to all brownie and chocolate cake recipes to enhance the flavor, and finally, I cut back the sugar by a 1/4 cup, but I left the original amount in the recipe.

Chocolate Friands
Makes 24 mini cakes
Adapted from Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt & Chad Robertson

I had leftover batter which I baked in a regular-sized muffin tin, hence the photo above. If you do this, the baking may take longer and spoon the ganache over the friands instead of dipping (cake tops aren't high enough!)

Batter
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 tsp instant espresso granules, optional
1 tsp pure vanilla extract, optional

Ganache
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 24 mini-muffin tin or line with paper liners.

For the batter, place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until very hot, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir the mixture until smooth. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, whisking well after each addition. Add 2 eggs and whisk until combined, and then add the the other 2 eggs and whisk just until incorporated, taking care not to over mix.

Using a liquid measure cup or spoon, fill the cups to three-fourths full. Bake until cracks begin to show on the cakes, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, and then remove from the tin and let cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the milk to just under a boil in a small saucepan and pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for a minute or two and stir gently with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.

Hold each completely-cooled friand by its sides and dip the tops into the ganache. Gently shake off the excess and return the friand back to the wire rack. Let set in a cool place for about an hour.

Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container, then in the fridge. When ready to serve, avoid condensation by bring the friands back to room temperature in the airtight container.