If you’re like me and have found that Valentine’s Day, along with the subsequent dread of making plans—single or taken—have crept on you*, then I am pleased to inform you that I have found the perfect solution to cure all your Valentine woes. Though a Valentine can be a lot of things, I have a penchant for one that is reliable, definitely sexy, a little bit fancy and…edible. Now before you go thinking I’m making a case for all of us to go out and purchase the Brownie Husband, which Tina Fey made so appealing during a Saturday Night Live sketch, hear me out (but really, you should go watch this afterwards). The case I propose for all those hoping to spend a perfect Valentine’s Day is not retail therapy nor the new Ryan Gosling body pillow that has adorned the bed of many angsty teenagers and Fifty Shades of Grey fans alike, but, moelleux au chocolat.
Pardon my French here, but I went to France a couple years ago and thought this gave me the right to become an obsessed Francophile that translated everything in the hopes of coming off as a mysterious world-traveler. This mouthful simply means “Chocolate Lava Cake”, which is a term that usually stops me in my tracks and fills my head with images of billowing waves of luscious molten chocolate. My proposal is for you to make my tried and true recipe and reap the benefits of passing an excellent but overly pink holiday, whether it be with your significant other popping the question on the spot after they get a taste or by yourself as you watch re-runs of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix in pure bliss.
Since I’m rightfully assuming the first words that come to mind after one hears of this recipe is, “Not. Rich. Enough.” I opted also to pair with it crème anglaise and macerated strawberries (Desolé, I did it again). While this all sounds a bit too heavy handed and like an extremely laborious process, I assure you it is a cinch and that the ends most definitely justify the means. Also, I guarantee people are going to think you are super cool and sophisticated having made this elegant French dessert with its hard-to-pronounce French name, which is a notch in anyone’s belt. Regardless of your plans, I assure you the 14th of February will be an indulgent affair.
*(Note: This is a blatant exaggeration. If anyone ever tells you Valentine’s Day has “crept” up on them, they are lying. Especially if they are single, as there is no shortage of Buzzfeed articles this time of year about embracing the joys of single-dom)
Chocolate Lava Cake
Makes: 6 servings
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Chocolate Lava Cake
3/4 cup of light brown or raw sugar
3/8 cup of flour
6 oz. of butter
6 oz. of dark chocolate (70%)
6 eggs
1 oz. soft butter (for molds)
Crème Anglaise
2 1/8 cups half & half
4 egg yolks
1/2 a vanilla bean of 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
Macerated Strawberries (Optional)
1 lb. strawberries, sliced
2 tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tbs. lemon juice
Directions:
For chocolate cake:
1. Melt the chocolate and butter slowly using microwave or on the stove using a double boiler
2. Mix flour and sugar in a bowl
3. Beat the eggs
4. Add the eggs (not on the stove) to the chocolate, mix well, then add the mix of sugar and flour
5. Butter the moulds (I use a muffin pan!)
6. Add the mixture and let rest in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours
7. Cook in a preheated to 350F for 10 minutes and then let rest for 5 minutes
For anglaise:
1. Heat the cream in a sauce pan, add sugar and vanilla and heat to just under a boil
2. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, slowly add the cream to the eggs while whisking simultaneously to temper the eggs, be careful not to curdle them
4. Then mix all the ingredients back together on the stove on medium heat while mixing with a wooden spoon; mix until the mixture gets thick and nicely coats the back of the spoon
5. Cover and cool the mixture in the fridge until ready to serve
For strawberries:
1. Mix all the ingredients together and let meld for 10-15 minutes