warm molten chocolate cakes

i made these for mark for valentines day. they're his favorites.... super yummy - a melty chocolate delight in the middle! there are endless variations of this cake - i made the williams-sonoma recipe this time, they're out of this world with fresh strawberries.


8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
6 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest (optional)
3 egg whites, at room temperature
Crème anglaise for serving (optional)

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Lightly butter six 3/4-cup ramekins and dust with cocoa powder. Set the ramekins on a small baking sheet. In the top pan of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and butter. Set the pan over but not touching barely simmering water in the bottom pan and melt the chocolate and butter, then whisk until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks, 3 Tbs. of the sugar, the cocoa powder and the orange zest on medium-high speed until thick. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture and beat until well blended. The mixture will be very thick. In a bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they are very foamy and thick. Sprinkle in the remaining 3 Tbs. sugar and increase the speed to high. Continue beating until firm, glossy peaks form. Spoon half of the beaten whites onto the chocolate mixture and whisk in until just blended. Add the remaining whites and stir gently until just blended. Spoon into the prepared ramekins, dividing evenly. Bake the cakes until they are puffed and the tops are cracked, about 13 minutes. The inside of the cracks will look very wet. Remove from the oven and serve immediately in the ramekins. Or run the tip of a small knife around the inside of each ramekin to loosen the cake, then invert the cakes onto individual plates. Serve with a drizzle of crème anglaise. Serves 6.

Variation: If you would like your molten chocolate cakes to have crunchy bottoms and sides, dust the buttered ramekins with superfine sugar instead of with cocoa powder.

posted by amy

don't shun the beet!

thai beet soup

for those of you beet nay-sayers, shame on you! have you ever had a fresh roasted beet? they are sweet and rich and the color is out of this world. and they make a great soup. this is a must have on a chilly winter night with some crusty bread.

spice paste:
2 2-inch pieces lemongrass (if you don't have lemongrass, you can use the rind of one lemon and the juice of half)
2 or 3 red or green chilis, deseeded
2 or 3 keffir lime leaves (if you don't have these, use rind of one lime)
2 cloves of garlic
2 in piece galangal or ginger
15 sprigs fresh mint
cut all pieces into smaller chunks and blend all in a food processor. reserve.

soup:
1 Tbsp veg oil
1 tsp cumin seed, toasted
1 qt. broth
2 small red onions, chopped
3 or 4 large beets - cooked, peeled and chopped (you can roast them, steam them, or pressure cook them)
1 can coconut milk

lime juice and sugar to taste

saute onion and cumin in oil, 10 minutes. add half of beets and half of spice paste, cook 2-3 minutes. add broth, season with salt and pepper. bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. add remaining beets and spice past. puree until smooth return to pot and add coconut milk. correct seasonings with sugar and lime juice.

posted by amy

Kiss me I'm Swiss

So I may not have made them, but I ate them. Don't you judge me. I feel like a million bucks now. Thought I'd share the wealth.

posted by Jenn "But they went down so good" Meyerson