Yummy recipes

[Natasha (candygirl)]

I usually make some kind of dessert for Valentine's Day, so I thought it would be fun for everyone to post their favorite receipes (dessert or otherwise).

Molten Chocolate Cakes

8 oz unsalted butter
8 oz semisweet chocolate
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
4 tsp flour

Melt salt and chocolate together. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Beat eggs, sugar, and salt together with a hand mixer until sugar dissolves.

Combine chocolate mixture and egg mixture, beat until smooth.

Add flour and beat until just combined.

You can bake the cakes a few different ways:
(1) Butter and flour 8 ramekins/French brioche tins
(2) Line standard muffin tin with 8 extra large (1/2 cup capacity) muffin liners

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes (until batter puffs but the center is not set).

If using ramekins, put a serving plate on top of the individual ramekin and flip to remove.

If using muffin tins, lift the cakes out using the edges of the liner and set on a plate. Peel the liner away, then use a spatula to remove.

Garnish with whipped cream, ice cream, heck some kind of dairy product. Or you can go all fancy and roll some raspberries in sugar, chop up some strawberries, etc.

The great thing about this recipe is that it looks so high class and is very easy to prepare. You can make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it (just take it out about an hour before you want to make it and let it come to room temperature). You can also halve the recipe. I usually make the regular recipe then we have dessert for a week!

I have seen a variation of this recipe that calls for 4 eggs + 4 egg yolks (instead of the five eggs listed above). I only tried it once and I don't remember if there was a discernible difference. I also saw a variation that called for a 1/2 tsp of instant espresso, which I tried once, but it made almost no difference in the taste.

[schris]

I ment to post a recipe for Melt-away Valentines cookies awhile ago - I will have to remember to do that soon cause they are the BEST!