Blame it on another snowstorm. Wandering around the kitchen watching the snow come down, I suddenly thought of these popular "lava" cakes and how I'd always wanted to make them. I rummaged through my pile of torn out recipes, and found this one from the Boston Globe. It's old and tattered, and doesn't have a date, but the recipe is credited to Joanne Weir. I adapted some of the original recipe ( different chocolate, rum instead of cognac, additional cocoa powder). The biggest glitch was at the end - you have to gently shake these very warm cakes onto two plates, flipping them down, then back up, while they are still hot and soft. And they need to be served immediately. Still, these are pretty little cakes, and would be charming with raspberries and mint leaves.
Set oven to 400.
Butter and dust with cocoa powder 6 individual souffle pots
You will need:
9 ounces mixed semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate
6 T. unsalted butter
2 T. rum
4 eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
3 T. flour
Whipped cream for garnish
In a pot set in a skillet of simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter, and rum.
Stir til smooth, remove from heat and set aside.
In mixer bowl, beat egg whites til stiff. Scoop into another bowl and set aside.
Beat yolks in same mixer bowl and add sugar. Beat until the yolks are pale yellow and thick.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture. Sprinkle the flour on top and fold in. Finally, add the chocolate mixture and fold very gently until mixed in well.
Scoop the batter into the souffle dishes and place on a baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes. The cakes will rise and crack a little.
Set out 12 dessert plates. Remove cakes from oven, run a knife around the edge, and gently shake each cake onto a plate. Cover with another plate and flip cake so the cakes are right side up again.
Garnish with whipped cream and serve immediately. Whew.
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