Thomas Keller's Chocolate Bochons

Butter and flour for the timbale molds
3/4 cup flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (12 ounces) unsalted butter, melted, just slightly warm
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into pieces the size of chocolate chips
Confectioner's sugar

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 16 (2-ounce) timbale molds or fleximolds. Set aside. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, or in another large bowl if using a hand-held mixer, mix the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until very pale in color. Mix in the vanilla.

3. On low speed, add about one-third of the dry ingredients, then one-third 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.)

4. Put the timbale molds on a baking sheet. Place the batter in a pastry bag without a tip, or with a large plain tip, and fill each mold two-thirds full.

5. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When the tops look shiny and set (like a brownie), test one cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick. It should come out clean but not dry (there may be some melted chocolate from the chopped chocolate).

6. Transfer the bouchons to a cooling rack. After a couple of minutes, invert the timbale molds and let the bouchons cool upside down in the molds, then lift off the molds. (The bouchons are best eaten the day they are baked.) To serve: Invert the bouchons and dust them with confectioner's sugar. Serve with ice cream if desired.

Eleven Madison Park's Two Day Madelines with Brown Butter

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, more at room temperature for buttering molds

5 large eggs

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, more for flouring molds

Large pinch sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Grated zest of 1 lemon.

Directions

1. In a small pan over medium heat, melt butter, and cook until it begins to smell nutty and turns brown. Remove from heat, and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.

2. In a mixer fitted with a whisk, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Remove bowl from mixer, and sift flour, salt and baking powder over eggs. Fold together with a spatula. Pour in butter and lemon zest, and fold together. (At this point you could fold in a number of dry ingredients, like finely chopped nuts, ground cardamom, orange zest or coconut.) Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a small (about 1/4-inch) round tip. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a madeleine pan (small or large molds). Pipe batter into molds, so they are three-quarters full.

4. Bake until madeleines form humps and are nut brown around edges, 6 to 8 minutes, longer if using large molds. Remove from oven, and bang pan on a countertop to release madeleines from molds. Carefully lift off any that stick. Place in a napkin to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Francois Payard's Classic Financiers

9 tablespoons butter, more for molds

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup almond flour or 1/2 cup whole unpeeled almonds

1/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons cake flour

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Directions

1. Generously butter 12 2-by-4-inch rectangular financier molds (measured at the top). Refrigerate.

2. In a small pan over medium low heat, heat butter, occasionally swirling, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Sift sugar over almond flour. (If using whole almonds, process with sugar in a food processor until mostly fine.) Add both flours, salt and baking powder, and gently whisk to combine. Add egg whites one at a time, whisking just to combine. Do not overwork or the cakes will be tough.

3. Add vanilla to butter. In a steady stream, whisk butter into flour mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 3 hours.

4. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Set molds on a baking sheet. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag that has a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe mixture into molds, filling halfway. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until browned and springy. Remove from oven, and cool 2 minutes before unmolding. Cool completely on rack. Serve plain or dusted with powdered sugar, or warm, with ice cream.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/24/dining/the-pastry-chef-s-rich-little-secret.html?pagewanted=all