Chocolate brownies in mini casserole (or soft chocolate cakes)

Since we know that brownies are one of those delicious cakes we’d fight over, today we’re bringing them in an individual version! These brownies made in a mini casserole could also be called Tender cakes with a chocolate heart -because in fact, being a brownie, in this recipe we cheat... we add baking powder so they puff up and look supercute in the mini. And like every brownie, it's one of the simplest preparations you can make!

On this occasion, we've prepared an irresistible chocolate brownie, baked with love in mini ceramic cocottes, that will not only captivate you with its soft and fluffy texture, but also hides a delicious secret inside: a piece of melted white chocolate that will delight your palate with every bite. Additionally, to add a crunchy touch, we've topped it with juicy walnuts that perfectly complement the intensity of the cocoa. Get ready to enjoy an extraordinary flavor experience with this indulgent and tempting dessert!

With a strong cocoa flavor and that chocolate heart, are you dying to try yours yet? By presenting them in individual molds, we hope arguments will end (although there may be disputes over seconds!).

Mini-cocottes Le Cresuet (individual and in Set of 4 mini cocottes)

Ingredients

• 75 g of powdered sugar
• 4 eggs M/L
• 160 g of softened butter
• 160 g of dark fondant chocolate
• 120 g of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder (optional*!)
• 4 squares of dark, milk or white chocolate
• 50 g of roughly chopped walnuts (optional but recommended, for decorating and contrasting with the chocolate)
• 100 g of fresh raspberries (optional, for decorating)

*Baking powder: traditional brownies don’t use baking powder, but adding a little of it, or baking soda, will help them rise a bit and give them fluffiness and, above all, that look of a puffed, protruding cake in the mini casserole.

Preparation

(video recipe below)

1. On a wooden board, roughly chop the chocolate
2. Place the chocolate in a ceramic bowl with the butter, and melt it in the microwave (2 minutes at 800 W). Open and stir to combine the ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, or in the KitchenAid bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with the whisk until the mixture is homogeneous. Take this opportunity to incorporate air into the mixture (especially if you are not going to add baking powder).
4. Add the chocolate and butter mixture, and stir with a spatula until incorporated. Do it with folding movements to avoid losing the air we previously added.
5. Finally, add the flour (and the baking powder, if you want) and mix.
6. With butter or baking spray, prepare 4 mini cocottes.
7. Spoon the batter into the mini cocottes until 3/4 full.
8. Place one square of chocolate in the center of each (dark chocolate if you want more intensity, or white if you want that contrast of color and flavor in the center).
9. Scatter some walnuts on top of the batter.
10. Place in the oven preheated to 200ºC. Bake for 15-16 minutes, without the lid if you added baking powder.
11. Remove the mini cocottes from the oven and let them rest on a cooling rack or a wooden cutting board (avoid thermal contrast with cold materials like marble). This cake is delicious after resting... But eating it still hot is priceless!
12. Decorate with raspberries or strawberries, dust with a little powdered sugar and enjoy every bite!

Note

*Generally, brownies do not contain baking powder. The distinguishing characteristic of brownies is their dense, moist and slightly compact texture. This consistency is achieved through the proper proportion of ingredients such as flour, eggs, chocolate, sugar and butter. Omitting baking powder helps maintain that denser, creamier texture instead of producing a fluffier result like that of a cake. So you decide: this recipe the traditional brownie method (without baking powder), or with it to make it more cake-like.