Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter bouchon molds and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess cocoa. Set bouchon baking mold on a baking sheet.

In a heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate in a microwave oven, about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once. Remove bowl from oven and cool about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and reserve.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, egg and vanilla extract until well-combined. Add chocolate-butter mixture and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into well of each mold, filling about two-thirds full. Transfer mold, still on baking sheet, to oven and bake (rotating once halfway through baking time) until tops of chocolate corks are shiny and a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 20 to 22 minutes.

Remove from oven and carefully transfer mold to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully invert mold to remove chocolate corks and turn them right-side up on rack. Let cool on rack for at least 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

chocolate bouchons

Makes about 1 dozen bouchons.

Note: This richer-tasting but slightly more complicated formula is adapted from "Bouchon" by Thomas Keller and Jeffrey Cerciello (Artisan, $50).

• Butter and cocoa powder for molds

• 3/4 c. flour

• 1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and just slightly warm

• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped into chocolate chip-size pieces

• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter bouchon molds and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess cocoa. Set bouchon baking mold on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder and salt and reserve.

In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until very pale in color. Mix in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low and add about a third of flour mixture, then a third of melted butter; continue alternating with remaining flour and butter. Stir in chopped chocolate. (Batter can be tightly covered and refrigerated for up to a day; when ready to bake, bring batter to room temperature.)

Spoon batter into well of each mold, filling about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. When 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).

Remove from oven, carefully transfer bouchon mold to a wire rack and cool about 10 minutes. Invert bouchon mold and let bouchons cool upside down in their molds for about 5 minutes, then carefully lift off molds. (The bouchons are best eaten the day they are baked.) When ready to serve, invert bouchons and dust them with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream, if desired.