Chocolate brownies in mini cocotte (or soft chocolate cakes)

As we know that brownies are one of those delicious cakes that we would fight over, today we bring them in an individual version! You could also call these brownies made in mini-cocotte Tender sponge cakes with a chocolate heart - because in fact, being a brownie, in this recipe we cheat... we add yeast so that they puff up and are super cute in the mini. And like any brownie, it is one of the simplest preparations you can make!

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

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

Le Cresuet mini-cocottes ( individuals and in a set of 4 mini cocottes )

Ingredients

• 75 g icing sugar
• 4 eggs M/L
• 160 g softened butter
• 160 g dark chocolate fondant
• 120g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional*!)
• 4 bars of dark, milk or white chocolate
• 50 g of coarsely chopped walnuts (optional but recommended, to decorate and contrast with the chocolate)
• 100 g fresh raspberries (optional, to decorate)

*Yeast: traditional brownies do not contain yeast, but adding a little of it, or baking soda, will help them rise a little, and gives them sponginess and, above all, that image of a puffy and outstanding sponge cake in the mini cocotte.

Preparation

(video recipe below)

1. On a wooden board, roughly chop the chocolate
2. Place the chocolate in a ceramic bowl, along with the butter, and melt it in the microwave (2 minutes at 800 W). Open and stir, integrating the ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, or in the KitchenAid bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with the whisk until smooth. Take the opportunity now to incorporate air into the mixture (especially if you are not going to add the yeast).
4. Add the chocolate and butter mixture, and stir with a spatula until combined. Do it with enveloping movements, to avoid losing the air that we have previously added.
5. Finally, add the flour (and yeast, if you want) and mix.
6. With butter or release spray, prepare 4 mini-cocottes .
7. Pour the dough into the mini-cocottes, up to 3/4 of their height.
8. Place a chocolate bar in the center of each one (dark chocolate if you want greater intensity, or white if you want to provide that contrast of color and flavor in the center).
9. Scatter some walnuts on top of the dough.
10. Place in the oven preheated to 200ºC. Bake for 15-16 minutes, without the lid if you have added yeast.
11. Take the mini cocottes out of the oven and let them rest on a cooling rack or kitchen wood (avoid thermal contrast with cold materials such as marble). This cake is delicious after resting... But eating it while still hot is priceless!
12. Decorate with some raspberries or strawberries, sprinkle a little icing sugar and enjoy every bite!

Note

*Generally, brownies do not contain yeast. The distinctive 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. The omission of yeast helps maintain that denser, creamier texture instead of obtaining a fluffier result, like that of a cake or sponge cake. So you decide: this recipe using the traditional brownie method (without yeast), or with it to make it more cakey.