We checked this cookbook out at the library and I asked the kids to tell me what they thought about the book. The pros are that each recipe has a big color photo and there is a hidden spiral spine so the book lies flat. But they didn't see many recipes in it that they wanted to try. Elisa says the recipes are kind of boring (French toast, French fries) or not food she'd want to try (ratatouille, vichyssoise). There were a few cute recipes like chocolate rats made out of dried apricots dipped in chocolate with licorice whiskers and rolled Starburst for tails that we didn't try yet. We did try these two.
This is called Eiffel Tower Cookie Sundae, but it's not really a recipe. It just tells you to use sugar wafers like building blocks and make this shape without other instructions. It wasn't as easy as it looked and the girls got frustrated that they couldn't make it look like the photo in the book. It says to serve it with ice cream and chocolate syrup to make it a sundae, but the girls didn't want to.
This was the one Thomas Keller (chef and cookbook writer) recipe in the cookbook. It has LOTS of butter and more cocoa than flour so it's very chocolatey! Robin and Sabrina loved them. Elisa, Alex and I thought they were good, but nothing special. I made them in my muffin pan with removeable bottoms to make it easier.Chocolate Bouchons
3/4 c. flour
1 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 t. kosher salt
3 large eggs
3/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
3 sticks unsalted butter, melted and just slightly warm
6 oz. (3/4 c.) semisweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Place muffin liners in a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar with handheld mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until very pale in color. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 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 each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Place in oven and bake for 20 to 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 bouchons in their liners to a cooling rack. After a couple of minutes, invert the bouchons and let them cool upside down in their liner; then lift off the liners. Invert the bouchons and dust them with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream, if desired. (The recipe says they’re best eaten the day they are baked. We ate some the day after and they tasted fine.)
Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Place muffin liners in a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar with handheld mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until very pale in color. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 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 each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Place in oven and bake for 20 to 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 bouchons in their liners to a cooling rack. After a couple of minutes, invert the bouchons and let them cool upside down in their liner; then lift off the liners. Invert the bouchons and dust them with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream, if desired. (The recipe says they’re best eaten the day they are baked. We ate some the day after and they tasted fine.)
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ReplyDeleteI've never made a bouchon before. They look decadent!
ReplyDeleteoh my those look delicious!! I love the movie Ratatouille! :)
ReplyDelete