Happy Valentine’s Day – or Galentine’s Day! Whatever the day is for you, I have the most decadent recipe for you and your most-loved. Nothing says love quite like chocolate! I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest, but I did make a few ingredient and technical changes based on my own preference. The recipe is relatively easy, and I have faith that anyone can bake these. They’re the perfect dessert to bake for your special someone or all of your gal-pals, as my Southern Belle friend would say.
I’m very thankful for all of the love I have in my life this Valentine’s Day. I’m planning on making a nice dinner for my boyfriend this year, but when I was younger my mom was always my Valentine. She would buy me chocolates and pink-colored everything; I remember one year she bought me my first wallet: pink and Coach! It was probably my favorite Valentine’s Day ever…
Let’s get down to baking business! These molten chocolate cakes pair very well with a glass of red wine (for those of you who are 21 and older!), and vanilla bean ice cream. (Note: I personally believe these two “extra” components are must-haves.)
Ingredients
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate/dark chocolate (or both!)
1 stick butter (plus extra for greasing the ramekins)
½ granulated sugar (plus extra for ramekins)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 400º F. Generously butter ramekins and sprinkle a spoonful of sugar in the ramekins. Shake the ramekins so the sugar covers the ramekins. Dump off excess sugar. Place on a baking sheet.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler—this method prevents the chocolate from burning—yuck. Next step, get out your mixing bowl! Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar until pale, about two minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Vanilla is crucial! DO NOT skip this step. Stir in the egg mixture with the chocolate and butter and then add the flour, mix well. Divide the batter among the sugar coated ramekins and bake for about 10-15 minutes. I would check at 10 minutes—everyone’s oven is a bit different. The edges should be firm and set but the center will still look soft. Let cool for a few minutes. Dust the chocolate cakes with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries, vanilla ice cream, and of course your tall glass of red wine. Enjoy, and happy baking!
*For a really special chocolate molten cake, cut out a heart stencil with parchment paper and place over the cake. Dust it with powdered sugar, and remove the stencil, to reveal a lovely heart!
– Recipe help from Delicious Shots
– Image from Martha Stewart