choc molten lava awesomeness

i know i've been sharing a few korean food recipes lately and thought it might be good to take a detour just for a bit.

for no apparent reason, i just had an urge to make chocolate molten lava cake on new year's eve... thought it'd be nice to make something special to usher in the new year and plus how can you go wrong with chocolate right? (totally!) 

there were a couple of recipes that i found and consulted ryan after i narrowed it down to two - we chose the one that has a lot more chocolate and a lot less other ingredients lol. i am not even sure if i should tell you how much chocolate and butter cos it might scare you away from the recipe...

...okay.. here it is. half of a bittersweet chocolate bar and half a stick of butter in each 6 oz ramekin..... (ignore the amount of calories! as long it's not a weekly indulgence haha)

the recipe makes four which was perfect since it was me, ryan, his mom and ryan's friend, J who came to hang out and join us for dinner. in fact, i think it really was the chocolate molten lava cake that sealed the deal in convincing J to drive 2 hours from new orleans to baton rouge. haha. i was a bit worried that i might overcook the center and ends being a regular chocolate cake so i was definitely keeping a close eye on the oven.

instagram-ed :: the makings of chocolate molten lava cake

there are a couple of things to be careful with. 

one | patience is key. double boiler may take a longer time to get your chocolate melted but it ensures that it doesn't burn. 

two | make sure the sugar melts completely or close to completely in the chocolate. 

three | also, the eggs need to be tempered before adding it to the warm melted chocolate+butter mixture cos you don't want scrambled egg in your chocolate..well..that would just be yuck! you can do that by adding a few tablespoon of the warm chocolate into the beaten egg, one at a time and then mix so it brings the egg to temperature before adding the rest of the chocolate mixture into the whisked eggs.

after i spoon-ed the chocolate mixture into the 4 ramekins, there were some leftover chocolate mixture and i offered it to ryan and j so they could lick the bowl clean. ryan gives J a regular spoon but then whips out a ladle out for himself. >.< lol. 

 

(actually, there was only one clean spoon left while the rest were in the dishwasher so ryan was just being nice by offering the last clean spoon to J) 

once baked, here comes the most challenging part, to flip the mini cake over on a plate and not have it fall part. the first one flipped over almost perfectly in one piece, much to my delight. it was shortlived with the not-so-successful flip for the second and third one but the fourth one came out quite easily. regardless how it came out, it was still pretty darned delicious - all four of them.

verdict | mmmm..rich decadence in every bite. so freaking good. ryan and his mom thought that it kinda does remind them of the famous chocolate molten cake from chilli's but better. i beamed and blushed at that. successful attempt! ^^

i totally recommend something like whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or berries or even all three to cut through the rich yumminess. when we were at the store, buying ingredients for the cake, vanilla ice cream was on top of his grocery list. i thought whipped cream would probably be lighter but his response was between ice cream and whipped cream, ice cream is the superior choice. haha. you would think that the ice cream would make it too much but actually it does the opposite for this dessert. the chill of the ice cream contrasts the cake and warm, gooey melted chocolate center...yummmmmmmm.

i actually posted a picture of this deliciousness on fb which received some favorable responses and promised to post the recipe.. so if you are a chocoholic or even want to make this just to pamper yourself, here is the recipe :

chocolate molten lava cake

taken from gwen's kitchen creations

 

ingredients |

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate, at least 60 percent (definitely recommend a good quality chocolate since it's what makes the dessert)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbs cake flour

 special equipment : double boiler, four 6-oz ramekins (i only found 7-oz ones and they worked fine)

instructions |

• preheat the oven to 350 F
• butter four (6-oz) ramekins and set aside
• over a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate, whisking until smooth. make sure to whisk until the chocolate and butter have combined into a smooth chocolate mixture
• whisk in the sugar, making sure most of the sugar dissolves in the warm chocolate mixture
• in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth
• pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs (remember to temper the eggs first with a couple of tablespoon of the warm chocolate mixture)
• whisk until smooth, then add the flour and combine until smooth.
• pour the batter into the prepared ramekins about 2/3 full
• bake the cakes until slightly puffy and set around the edges, 20-25 minutes. don't worry if your cake tester comes out wet, the center should still be loose. serve warm - highly recommend with berries and vanilla ice cream.

note one :: to make your own double boiler, use a heat proof bowl that fits snuggly over a pot with simmering (not boiling) water, keeping the heat on low to medium-low. also make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the warm water - you want to only use the steam as the source of heat to melt the chocolate. 

note two :: check the cakes earlier at about 15 minutes, and every 5 minutes after to make sure they don't overcook since not every oven is the same and the temperature is inconsistent.

disclaimer this is written based on my personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.