Chocolate Pudding Cakes (and...I'm Back!)

Yes yes, I know, it has been a very long time since I have blogged. Wedding preparations have majorly gotten in the way (how is it economically viable, I ask, that wedding invitations--the cheap, unengraved kind--cost $10 a person? how???)...Anyhoo--wah wah wah I know you missed me, but I am back, *DIGICAM IN HAND*. Please give me a round of applause, it took me 6 months to figure out how to upload photos from this thing.

Here are my sumptuous, pillowy, scrumptious pudding cakes for your perusal:

Even ignoring the loads of alcohol in the background that accompanied the consumption of these precious beauties, the pudding cakes were deeelicious. The outside has a faint crackle to it, the inside is melty and gorgeously thick--it is chocoholic paradise. And even better yet, they are super-easy to make, and can even be prepped in advance--perfect for a party.

This is another recipe from The Essence of Chocolate, from my high school bestie (and bridesmaid-to-be) Lauren. Use the best chocolate possible with this--I recommend Valrhona or Scharffenberger.

Alcohol note: we had these with a classic 10-year tawny port--I highly recommend the budget-friendly Whiskers Blake brand.

Ingredients
Unsalted butter or butter spray for the ramekins
1/4 to 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for coating the ramekins
7 ounces 99% unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
8 tbsp (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
Whipped Cream (optional)

Serves 8-10 (bigger ramekins-->fewer servings)

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325.

2. Butter (I used butter baking spray) ten 5-6 oz ramekins and coat the insides with cocoa powder.

3. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.

4. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat, add the chocolate, and let sit for 1 minute to melt the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth.

5. Position a fine-mesh strainer over a large measuring cup with a spout. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the eggs. While whisking, gradually add the chocolate mixture. Strain into the measuring cup and divide the batter evenly between the ramekins. (The ramekins can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temp before baking.)

6. Bake until the surface is puffed and cracked, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long!). Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.

Chocolate Molten Cakes

I have to say--my friends know me really well. So when my best friend since 8th grade, Lauren, bought me The Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg for the holidays, Laur knew that I'd be hightailing it to the kitchen for some chocolate madness. I love the first section of the book, which focuses on really simple recipes that focus entirely on the quality of the chocolate at hand.

Chris and I were celebrating our 5-year anniversary for the 3rd or 4th time last night, this time to enjoy our traditional bottle of Mer Soleil 2005 Chardonnay, which we've had for 3 years in a row now (sadly, I think it's time to move on from Mer Soleil--their focus on french oak flavors has increased in the past couple years, IMO, and no longer has a unique palate. Or, maybe, our palates are the ones that are changing). To add to the celebration, I decided on a whim to make these cakes, which use entirely pantry-available ingredients. We had them with tawny port, but a ruby port or dessert wine would also go quite well. Our tawny was Whisker's Blake Classic Tawny, a very wallet-friendly and highly-rated port that has been aged for 8 years.

I altered the recipe a bit—I served the cakes still in the ramekins instead of unmolding them, so I didn’t need to cover the ramekins in butter or parchment—I just used a bit of baking nonstick spray. Gotta cut down on calories somewhere! And remember, the quality of the chocolate really matters here—I’m a huge fan of Scharffenberger’s Bittersweet for cooking. It can be very intense, though, so I think the Semisweet version would also work well in this recipe.

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray for the ramekins (you'll need 4 5- to 6-oz ramekins, or 6 4-oz)
6 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
¼ granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1½ tbsp all-purpose flour
Ice cream (we used chocolate peanut butter…but vanilla might be best)


It is best to bake these on the floor of the oven. If that's not possible, position a rack on the lowest level of the oven. Preheat to 400. Spray the ramekins, and arrange on a baking sheet.

Place the chocolate and butter in a double-boiler, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or, in my case, use a large bowl and a hand-held mixer) fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt and beat on high speed for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the mix is thick and pale. when the whisk is lifted and the batter runs back and forth over itself, it will hold a slowly dissolving ribbon.

With the mixer on low speed, sprinkle the flour over the batter, and mix until combined.

Fold the egg mix one-third at a time into the chocolate mixture.

Fill the ramekins with batter within 1/4 of the top. (At this point, the ramekins can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring back to room temp before baking).

Bake for 8-10 min, or until the sides of the cake are firm--centers will be soft to the touch but set (I had to take it to 12 min).

Let stand for 1 minute, and serve with ice cream and port!