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Chocolate Raspberry Moelleux

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One of the most elegant desserts in French cooking, the moelleux is a chocolate muffin rich like a brownie with a liquid raspberry heart. Incredible!

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The chocolate moelleux [maw-ah-luh] is one of the most chic desserts served in French restaurants. As it arrives on the plate, you could think this is sort of chocolate muffin, but as you open it you realize the content is liquid. Did the chef forgot to bake it through? you ask yourself as you take the first bite. And then it dvelves on you - the core is not uncooked dough, but a delicate chocolate filling. How the hell did they manage to keep the core liquid? When you'll finish reading this article, you'll know how to make this dessert just like a French chef with the simplest equipment and a French chef's trick.

Chocolate-Raspberry Moelleux
A recipe by Pierre Hermé
For the ganache:
125gr raspberries, fresh or frozen
100gr black chocolate (about 67% cocoa content)
30gr cream
For the biscuit dough:
70gr flour
200gr chocolate (about 67% cocoa content)
250gr butter
4 eggs
220gr sugar
Yields about 12 muffin-sized moelleux

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The moelleux can be prepared with various stuffings, and you could substitute the raspberries with passion fruits for instance.

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Place the chocolate in a bowl floating in a pot of hot water. Melt slowly, making sure no water enters the chocolate bowl. Crush the raspberries in a kitchen mixer.

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Filter the raspberries through a sieve to extract 100gr juice. Heat in a small saucepan and add the cream.

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Mix the chocolate with the raspberry juice and cream and whip slowly, without adding any air, to combine the ingredients intimately. You have just made a very light ganache [gah-nash], the mixture used by chocolate makers to stuff their chocolates.

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Now for the trick that makes this incredible dessert possible. Slowly pour the chocolate-raspberry ganache through a funnel into an icecube bag. You could also use an icecube tray.

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This is quite a magical moment to see the dark mixture slowly permeate the bag, colonizing the next cell drop by drop. Just let gravity work for you and wait until the bottom cells are completely filled.

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When there is no more ganache left in your funnel, push the ganache down the bag with your fingers so that each cell is equally filled. Tie or use adhesive tape to close the bag and place in the freezer

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While the ganache cores hardens up in the freezer we'll prepare a very wet biscuit dough. Work the butter with a spoon until it is soft. Work the sugar into the butter.

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Melt the chocolate like explained above and add the to the sugar-butter mixture.

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Add the eggs and mix.

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Finally add the wee bit of flour this recipe calls for. As you can see, this is a very wet dough.

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Buy the best raspberry jam you can find, if possible with the seeds. Here is one I buy from a lady at my local farmer's market who makes it with her own raspberries.

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Heat the oven to 170°C and take out a wire rack. Bring the icecube bag out and check for hardness.

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You can use small cake pans but I prefer muffin pans, so that each guest receives his own moelleux. If you have a pastry bag fill it with the biscuit dough and fill each muffin pan to about a third of its height. You can also use a spoon to fill the pan but it will be longer and more messy.

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Carefully place one teaspoon raspberry jam in the center of the third-filled pans.

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Cover with a ganache ice cube.

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Finish with the remaining biscuit dough to cover the icecubes. It quite crucial for the icecube to be placed right in the middle for if it does not you will have a hole - see hereafter. Bake in the oven for about 14 minutes.

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Remove from the oven and leave for about 10 minutes to cool before you unmold.

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Now is the most crucial moment. You have to make sure the ganache filling will neither escape from the top nor from the bottom (like this). Unmold on foil or a plastic sheet.

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Cut the foil around the moelleux and carefully lay them on individual serving plates. When done, remove the foil by sliding it carefully from under the moelleux.

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The biscuit is soft, rich and velvety but the core is just pure happiness - rich but not fat, chocolatty and fruity at the same time. This is one elegant dessert for a romantic dinner. Tell her/him you saw this on FXcuisine.com!


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«The Holy Grail of Cupcake - as close to perfection as one can get in an eating experience. Words cannot explain how good these are. There are very few things in life that are better than eating one of these.» Mike 26/07/2008

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If you do this recipe at home please let me know how it worked for you by submitting a comment or send me a picture if you can. Thanks!



51 Comments

  • #1
  • Comment by Rozlyn McLean
Hello FX,Thank you for your site...it is lovely and devine!  First, do you entertain family and friends with all of your beautiful creations?  Second, do you exercise?  Do you eat in moderation?  Are these recipes for special occasions, once a week or once a month?   I understand the need to cook, it has become an obsession with me, but I do realize I cannot eat this way all the time, let alone once a week.  Please share your thoughts on this subject.  What do you eat when coming home from a long day of work and are feeling a little tired?  I am retired, and can and do enjoy cooking, but the significant other needs to eat in moderation.
  • #2
  • Answered by fx
A wise question indeed Rozlyn, well to answer you most of the dishes you see here I cooked after a long day in the office and feeling a little tired. Now I don't eat chocolate moelleux every day and try to make vegetable soups at least once a week. Restraint in quantity might be a solution to this delicate conundrum.
  • #3
  • Comment by mattomatic
Can you make the raspberry chocolate moelleux ahead of time or does it need to be served straight from the oven?Could this be made as a small cake?
  • #4
  • Answered by fx
Matt, you can make the moelleux an hour or so before serving it. In fact it benefits somewhat from the waiting as the dough toughens up and usually prevents the filling from escaping in a black waterfall from under the moelleux. You can make it as a small cake but you risk having to overcook the exterior in order for the inside to be cooked through.
  • #5
  • Comment by Melissa
I love your step-by-step! Great post, I'm ready to cook this one soon!
  • #6
  • Answered by fx
To the lady who was about to cook this for her birthday, I mistakenly deleted your comment, my apologies and please write your question again. My blog gets bombarded with dozens of spam messages every hour and yours got caught with the bad ones by mistakes. In any case, happy birthday and happy new year and good luck with the moelleux!
  • #7
  • Comment by mattomatic
If you use ice cube tray to make the ganache, only fill them halfway - you dont want the ganache-cube too tall.And with that amount of butter...these do keep nice and moist.Next time I plan on using less strong chocolate for the dough to increase the "choc hit" when you hit the centre.
  • #8
  • Comment by Lama
I am sure it tastes heavenly. And i understand what you mean by taste of happiness.
  • #9
  • Comment by Julie
I'm a bit confused... you list raspberries as the ingredient, but later mention strawberries.  Are they interchangeable in this recipe? Are we meant to use both? Either way, it looks delicious.
  • #10
  • Answered by fx
Julie you are right - I corrected the text. You need to use raspberries, they have the right acidity to stand up to the chocolate. Thanks for letting me know and by all means do try this recipe if you have a chance!
  • #11
  • Comment by Margaret
I just made these to hand out with Valentine's and I think they came out amazing.  Mine required baking for longer than 14 minutes (they weren't fully cooked until after about half an hour)  But even a few days later, the muffin is moist and rich.  
  • #12
  • Comment by Gennie
I think the difference is maybe the type of pan. It looks like FX was using a silicone pan, which cooks things faster sometimes. If you use a metal pan, you probably will need to increase the amount of baking time.
  • #13
  • Answered by fx
Margaret I am glad you chose my recipe for Valentine's day! It's impressive the Moelleux kept for several days. See you around my blog!
  • #14
  • Comment by Joyce
A search for some ideas for my mother-in-law's birthday cake led me to your site.  She is a woman of good taste and has a discriminating palate so I could not disappoint her!  She loved the cake.  Thank you for your crisp, clean, and beautiful blog.  I am inspired!
  • #15
  • Answered by fx
Joyce thanks for your appreciation! It is really nice to hear that not only did you entrust my recipe with providing the dessert for an important meal for this demanding guest, but that indeed she liked it! You may want to look at the Vanilla Roasted Pineapple also by Pierre Hermé (see my article).
  • #16
  • Comment by Natalie
I stumbled upon this site a couple hours ago, and haven't left my computer since! All of your recipes look absolutely delicious.  My boyfriend an I are celebrating an anniversary this weekend and have decided to cook for each other but I have been having a hard time deciding what, however now I know that it will be something from your site! This dessert looks absolutely exquisite and I hope to try it soon!
Shalom,
Natalie
  • #17
  • Answered by fx
Natalie, thanks for your appreciation of my efforts! this Raspberry moelleux definitely is worth the bother, it's great fun and you can make it again and again once you made the ice cubes!
  • #18
  • Comment by Ana Maria Drorry
WOW .. this is all I can say.. one of my jobs was in a laboratory of French "sweets" ... one of the yummiest was the moelleux .. but theirs was just plain choco. When we will move in the new house I am planing to cook YOUR recipe and invite all the friends!!! My mouth is full of water only imagining the taste of it!!!!
Can't wait to check more of your site!!!
  • #19
  • Answered by fx
Ana Maria, you will love these moelleux, they are just wicked and you can make them again and again. Once the raspberry ice cubes are prepared, the rest is a breeze!
  • #20
  • Comment by Ana Maria Drory
F-X, it became almost a habit for me that everymorning I am checking "a lil bit" of your recipes (of course I suddenly realise its been 3 hours instead of 5 minutes and I am looking embarassed around me - all this is happening lately every morning in my office)... We shall move in a new flat next month and I was thinking to put on my kitchen wall 2 or 3 of your pictures. Would you allow it to me? Because your pictures, just like your food, are inspiration to me..
  • #21
  • Comment by Ray
Your blog is fabulously well done. The recipe turns out extremely well. I was curious to know if you can suggest how to vary it to make it with banana instead of raspberry. I thought of substituting roasted carmelized diced banana for the jam. Is there something that can be adjusted for the biscuit or ganache? Many thanks for the inspiration.
  • #22
  • Comment by Zach Thomas
This is an amazing article. I wish I could cook food as excellent as the ones depicted on this website. Just a quick suggestion; you could try using carob(I recommend buying from www.holyfoodimports.com)in place of chocolate for a healthier version of the recipe. I've been using that substitution for years and I haven't had any major issues.
  • #23
  • Answered by fx
Ray, thanks for your appreciation! Ganache is really about fruit juice, so think banana is a little tricky, although you might place a little piece of it with the ganache ice cube perhaps. But the idea is to have a liquid core that will ooze out as you eat the moelleux. Maybe a caramel sauce infused with spice and banana like for my Roasted Vanilla Pineapples? Good luck.
  • #24
  • Answered by fx
Zach, do you mean that you take the chocolate out altogether and only use carob? The taste must be very different, right?
  • #25
  • Comment by Maggy
Hi FX! First of all msut say that I absolutely love your blog! Very inspiring! I tried these cake today and they really were heavenly. Due to the fact that I didnt have rasberries I just used strawberries instead. It was great...maybe a slight little bit too sweet but delicious non the less!
Wow, these look great. Thanks for posting.
  • #27
  • Comment by J. C
This looks very good, similar to something the restaurant i work at serves, but i was wondering where you get those bags, if they could be found online, or what the brand is if you find it elsewhere.
  • #28
  • Answered by fx
JC these are ice cube bags bought at the supermarket, for us Swiss they are a kind of novelty but in the US it must be almost vintage now. You can find loads of online shops that sell them, just google "icecube bags".
  • #29
  • Answered by fx
Tommy, glad you liked my article and hope you get to try it!
OMG. I am drolling here.. OMG OMG...That looks sooooo MIAAAMYYY =p~
  • FX's answer→ And it IS every bit as good as it looks...

  • #32
  • Comment by Alex
Hi again FX! I must say that the couple of recipes I tried from your blog so far came out really amazing (like the Cottage Pie, which was a total success, and the wonderful Swiss Gingerbreads). Just a little question about the moelleux: do you bake it at 170C?
  • FX's answer→ Yes, that's correct, bake at 170 celsius.

  • #34
  • Comment by Jill Klapper
where do you get the ganache ice cube bags
  • FX's answer→ Jill, these are not made for ganache but rather for regular ice cubes, you can buy them everywhere really. Otherwise just use an ice cube tray in your freezer!

  • #36
  • Comment by Christine DeBacker
This is a fantastic idea. your photos capture the gooey texture perfectly. Can't wait to try this one out. (only sadly I recently left poland for los angeles, which means I wont' be able to find delicious preserves along the roadside anymore.) hope they will still be great without the grannie-made jam!
  • FX's answer→ Oh yes Christine it should work fine with a regular jam too, the chocolate dominates the balance and would hide the quality of the jam you use to some extent.

  • #38
  • Comment by Silvia
Hola François-Xavier, me gusta mucho tu página, el reportaje de este coulant me ha gustado mucho. Estoy muy interesada en aprender como se hacen los Macarrons, tu me podrias ayudar. Gracias y un saludo. Silvia
  • #39
  • Comment by guillermina
Hola,me encantó la receta ,pero necesito saber dos cosas:1)eL TIEMPO DE HORNOes 14 min.¿A que temperatura? 2)¿Se pueden congelar una vez hechos? Una vez que los sacamos del horno?
Desde ya muchas gracias por tu respuesta!
Saludos.
Guillermina:
Por favor ,responde a:gcm@interar.com.ar
  • #40
  • Comment by Esperanza
Los hice y me quedaron maravillosos. Gracias!!
  • #41
  • Comment by ben
This looks a wonderful recipe, which i intend to try out at an upcoming dinner party. 2 questions though; what temperature should i set a fan assisted oven at, and can i make the dough the previous day and then let it come up to room temperature for the final stage? Many thanks.
  • #42
  • Comment by Regina
I made a cake with this recipe, the raspberry canache in the sice of the cake into the fridge, and then the same procedure you use to make it, everybody wanted to have the recipe. thank you!!
¡Magnífica receta! Chocolate + frambuesa = combinación mortal.¡chapeau!Un saludo.
I am just curious: it seems as though a lot of people are confusing the moelleux with something else. The above dish to me is something else. For as long as I was a student in Paris I have been going to Chatelet les Halles and my treat was always to get a moelleux au chocolat at the bakery downstairs as you exit the metro just before going up on the escalator to La Fnac. So..can you clarify which is which? The moelleux au chocolat to me is a soft chocolate cake, but the inside is not liquid.
  • #45
  • Comment by Mark
Are these best served hot or cold?
  • FX's answer→ But Mark, these are served warm, 60 seconds or so after they leave the oven. You can eat them later and colder, but you'll miss half the show!

  • #47
  • Comment by ernesto hidalgo
hola soy chef de cocina y te felicito por este postre unico espero que me comparttas alguno mas y estoy ala orden con las recetas que ocupes mil gracias
  • #48
  • Comment by Vivienne Nonis - Malaysia
I have made these before and they came out alright. Now my question is can I use an electric beater to cream the sugar and butter at the start - or is it essential to only work the two in with a spoon??

P/S : Am a big fan of your website ever since someone referred me to it some yrs ago. Any new articles coming up soon?
  • #49
  • Comment by yugash
Great idea with the ice cube bags.  Can you please tell me that exact brand of bag?  I like how the bag allows individual use of the frozen cubes.
thanks
Estupenda receta! Una explosión de chocolate!
Felicidades y Saludos.
  • FX's answer→ Muchas gracias!


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