A Chocolate Fix

Ever have one of those days? Where you just have to have something chocolate? It can't just be an average chocolate bar and it has to have a richness that forces you to slow down and savor every luscious bite. THAT is the kind of craving I had today. Nothing sounded good. Not ice cream or the various chocolate bars and bits at the grocery. Then, it hit me: Lava Cake! Nothing could possibly satisfy one's craving for pure rich milk chocolate, like Lava Cake. If done right, it is rich moist cake surrounding a pool of steaming chocolate. Choose a rich high quality chocolate bar for this recipe and you will have found the key to slowing time. You cannot devour this dessert with veracity. With the first bite, everything slows as every taste bud strains to hold onto the flavor. But I digress... Make this for someone you love, for chocolate laced kisses of gratitude later!

Chocolate Lava Cake


Moelleux au Chocolat: A French classic that literally melts in your mouth, and induces feelings of euphoria.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
• 6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 C Granulated Sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 C Flour
• Butter for Ramekins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). When melted, take off flame, and stir in diced butter, until it melts.

In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten. Stir in melted chocolate (making sure to stir quickly while drizzling chocolate in), vanilla and then the flour.

Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter. Cook for about 10 minutes, adding 5 minutes at a time until desired doneness is reached.

Cool until ramekins can be handled safely, but this is a dessert best served very warm! Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

Tips:

• You can  prepare your chocolate lave cake recipe ahead of time, and then bake 10 minutes before serving.
• In terms of buttering the ramekins: butter the bottoms first, and then butter the sides, wiping from the bottom up to the top. It helps the chocolate to rise even more.
• Regarding baking time… it depends on how runny you want it! I like it with the center runny like rich homemade cooked pudding.  For this, you want the top to be cooked through, but the center to be liquid. You can check with a toothpick after 10 minutes of baking. I've also pulled it out of the oven when the top is still shiny and just the edges looking cooked, then let it sit for 10 minutes (it continues to cook from the heat of the ramekin for a little while).

If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake. Either way, it's a treat that is a perfect end to the day.