Chocolate Friands

Yield: 24 mini cakes (about 18 cupcakes)

Batter:
Bittersweet chocolate 6 oz 170 g
Unsalted butter 1 cup 8 oz/225 g
Sugar 1 1/2 cups+1 tbsp 11 oz/310 g
Flour 3/4 cup 3 3/4 oz/105 g
Cornstarch 2 tbsp 30 ml
Salt 1/4 tsp 1 ml
Large eggs 4

Ganache
Bittersweet chocolate 4 oz 115 g
Heavy Cream 2/3 cup 5 1/2 oz/150 ml

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line up 24 muffin cup paper liners in muffin cooking sheet.

To make the batter, place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until very hot. Pour the butter over the chocolate and whisk or stir until really smooth. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in three batches, whisking well after each addition. Add 2 of the eggs and whisk until combined, and then add the remaining 2 eggs and whisk until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup for pouring, and fill the paper cups three fourth full. Bake until the cakes just start to crack on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to just under a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for a minute or two. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Make sure the friands are cool before dipping them into the ganache. Holding each friands by its sides, dip the top into the ganache and then shake gently to let the excess run off the side. Return the friand to the rack and let the ganache set up in a cool place for about 1 hour.

I don't recommend putting the friands in the refrigerator to set up if your kitchen is hot because condensation will form on the tops when you take them out, ruining the smooth look of the ganache. The only way to avoid the condensation is to place them in an airtight container before placing them in the refrigerator and then to leave them in the container when you remove them from the refrigerator until they come to room temperature, or to serve them right away.

Serve the friands within a day of making, or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

NOTES: Made for Amy-Jo and Doug's shower on October 16th 2010.
Used about 1/2 Nestle Dessert and 1/2 Nestle 70% cooking chocolate.
Cooked for 20 minutes which was a little too much.

From
Tartine
By Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson