It isn’t often that I put desserts on a silver platter. When these freshly baked bouchons au chocolat were delivered to my office in Cebu minutes before I hopped onto a flight to Manila, I popped one into my mouth in the airport departure lounge, I was instantly smitten. By the time I managed to take this photo, on a silver platter, only 5 out of the 8 pieces in the package remained! Bouchons are a more rustic french bistro dessert, hence the name of Thomas Keller’s more casual restaurant, Bouchon. They are relatively simple to make, and if done well, have all the hallmarks of serious simple comfort food.
There is a post on Keller’s version in the archives, and they were superb. But if you don’t feel like baking them from scratch, and you have access to these Sweet Melissa chocolate bouchons, I highly recommend them. Bouchons are meant to look like bottle corks, and these certainly do. And I understand there is an amusing story trying to find the right molds locally, but I will keep that story a secret. Make sure you get the bouchons fresh, and when you get home, either zap them in the microwave for 10-12 seconds (not more) or stick them in a hot oven for a few minutes to heat them up. Then serve them with a creme anglaise or some good vanilla ice cream and you have a fantastic dessert. They are very chocolately and if warmed, they are soft and luscious. They do have a tendency to dry out, so don’t keep them around for more than a day or two.
At PHP200 for 8 pieces, I also think they are very well priced. I would be surprised if a restaurant or two or three in Cebu don’t put these on their dessert menus in the near future. Meanwhile, if you live or travel to Cebu, call 032-516-7406 or 0928-984-3609 to see where you can buy them. Thanks Artisan for sending these over, you have managed to foil my attempts at losing weight yet again.
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28 Responses
artisan just brought some to the restaurant the other day. fantastic!!!!!!!
Timbale molds to bake these in are available at restaurant supplies stores in Quiapo. I don’t think I have seen them in department stores cook/bakeware sections. Or maybe I just haven’t noticed
they have it at any williams sonoma store…along with bouchon mixes :P
Hi MM, Thanks so much for the write-up. I was actually eager to get home for lunch today for 2 reasons!! hehehehe……..you know them!.
To bring this dessert over-the-top, serve warm with good vanilla ice cream and drizzle some of my creme du chocolat grand marnier or kahlua over the ice cream and bouchon.
will have these and the madeleines next time i’m in cebu!
Artisan, delish…the child said “Mama what did you do to the chocolate crinkles?” I said “Blame………..!”
will have the cannelles, too!
More things to look forward to on my next trip to Cebu!
Artisan, do you have a website that has a list of your products?? :)
Kevin Cabanban, you said it for me: Can’t wait to try out all these on my next trip to Cebu! Artisan, did you bake these? Wow!
Sggirl, here’s the link to Artisan’s blog:
https://sweetmelissapastries.blogspot.com/
Hi Cumin….Yes, with the help of my bakers. My apprentices for the last 2 years, have done a good job of learning well what I have been teaching them.
These look like smaller versions of my uncle’s Decadence cake. We would eat that cake with Vanilla ice-cream and blueberry sauce. I suddenly miss it.
looks delish. How should it be served? On its side or up?
Artisan, I just visited your website and looked like you have such beautiful pastries. Whereabouts is your bakery? I have some relatives visiting Cebu at the moment and would love for them to try your products. Thanks.
It looks sinfully delicious. Artisan, does it taste like a chocolate crinkle but on a different form lang?
Farida,
You can served the bouchons standing or on its side.
I don’t have a retail outlet for walk-ins. I operate a commissary that supplies several coffee shops and restaurants (in Cebu) with their bread and pastry requirements. I sell to the public on Sundays at the Banila Town Center (BTC). However, I accept orders (Php500.00 minimum) for delivery within uptown Cebu from the public.
Libay, Bouchon is a cross between brownie fudge and chocolate cake
YUM! i’m a sucker for anything chocolate and this one i hope i can try in the near future — unless Artisan can supply to Manila soon ;)
Mr. Keller has a new book called AD HOC at HOME…for chocoholics like me, ladies, make the Brownies from his new book. I made it as pasalubong and I turned around and the plate was empty! The taste is similar to his BOUCHON but the texture is more my type…..ultra moist, not a chewy. fudgy. …I baked it in muffin tins….makes nice Christmas presents…bake them in those silicone muffin tins and give them the muffin tin as well! Now, for special occasions at home and you don’t have those moulds, save your TUNA cans, wash them well, and use them as your moulds, ….makes EXCELLENT individual serving type of dessert…plate it and garnish.
AD HOC is another T. Keller restaurant in Yountville, haven’t been there yet, but will try soon.
hi, MM- i learned to bake bouchons at heny sison through the creative teachings of chef jill sandique. Since my work is just adjacent to Payard at LExington, I can say, Chef Jill and Chef Heny are truly amazing teachers. Love your photos of melissa’s bouchons- she did well.For those in the philippines, you can actually buy these timbale molds at Divisoria (just forgot the street- i think its where you buy your kitchen gadgets) Here in the states, you can always get these molds at any cooking supply store like sur la table, w/sonoma/home goods,resto depot. good luck and happy shopping.
…the timbale moulds are also available would you believe at Dollar stores?!? ….can also be found at thh kitchen wares stores in Chinatown. ….most of them are inventory from wholesale restaurant equipment supply stores.
Thanks for the Brownie recipe BettyQ! Can’t wait to try it.
For those of you interested, here’s the link to the recipe:
https://kitchenmusings.com/2009/10/ad-hoc-brownies.html
BTW, what Dollar Store did you see the Bouchon molds?
Guess I’ll never kick the chocolate addiction.
Just a rejoinder, Artisan, what’s the shelf life of your Bouchon? I’m requesting a friend in Cebu to buy it for me and send it through LBC.
Libay, Shelf-life is no more than 5 days. We don’t use any preservative
Cherryo: I saw it a while back at the Dollar Store near Michael’s in Coquitlam. But the store is now closed. You can try the one in Coquitlam Centre. But if you go to Chinatown on Keefer St between Gore and Main,,,,there are alot of kitchen wares stores there. They have a variety of moulds though in random pcs. But you don’t need those timbale moulds. I have baked them in those fleximoulds. I can get you different shapes and sizes from a wholesaler if you want. I much prefer to use those flexi moulds for it bakes evenly….no overbaked sides!
Yes, it is really difficult to kick the choclate addiction UNLESS you bake EVERYDAY!….which is what happened to me. I cannot believe that I didn’t even take 1 BITE of the pasalubong I brought !!!!
Farida: I am out of commission for now ….going back up North again in a few weeks and will spend quite a bit of time there helping a friend start a home based business and teaching her what I know for there is not that any places there that you can buy quality cakes and desserts.
Libay…you might want to individually wrap those bouchons and then freeze them. When you want to eat them….let them come to room temp. and zap it in the microwave for no more than 8 seconds. BUT YOU HAVE TO SCRAPE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN …the icing suagr on top before you freeze them.
BettyQ: Thank you: I really appreciate the tips! I will try to check Attison’s here in Richmond. If not, a trip to Chinatown is always welcome. Mapapabili ako ng lengua if I go. I love the Dollar Meat Store there because they will clean and skin the ox tongues for you. Friends and family love Lengua con Champignon pero I try not to cook it often due to medical concerns. As for the fleximoulds, what brands do you recommend? Neat to have a license to be able to buy wholesale!
Also wanted to THANK YOU again for all your FABULOUS recipes! I am a recent Market Manila and BettyQ FAN (as well as Maria Clara’s especially after reading her very ingenious way to cook Puto Bumbong). It is apt to say “I worship the ground you (pl.) walk on! =)” I will be trying out your XO sauce, ube puto and other recipes very soon. Hope to be able to meet you (pl.) someday.
MM: Looking forward to your holiday posts especially the December 12th eyeball with your fans who have achieved the “inner circle of trust”! I’m sure we will all enjoy the event vicariously through your posts.
Cherryo…How about having an XO making day …maybe have Zoi, Onie, Pinky?, CWID and others…then that solves your giveaways for Christmas! …we could have an ensaymada baking day too but unless you kow your kapitbahays (so we can use their oven), one oven will not suffice to bake all those ensaymadas.
Game ako BettyQ! Would love to have a cooking party… As for baking ensaymada, how many dozen are we talking about? I can ask my Italian-Cantonese neighbor – they love Banana Bread, Chinese Lumpia and Pinoy BBQ so there is a good chance they will like ensaymada too. Warning lang, we have a humble respectable kitchen but no Viking stove (yet?)… Teka, pero papano yung eyeball ninyong mga “inner circle” MM peers??? How do we get a hold of the MM fans Canadian Westcoast Chapter?