Remember Juliette Binoche
in "Chocolat" preparing all these sinfully delicious chocolates that
put a whole village upside down?
I suppose you suspected it
already from previous posts but I'm a confessed and convicted chocoholic.
Maybe it's a legacy from
the time we lived in Switzerland, the world's top chocolate consumer.
There I learned that there
are worlds within the world of chocolate.
The most common types of
chocolate are dark, milk and white chocolate, depending on the proportion of
coca used in the fabrication.
The quality of the cocoa
beans, the way they are roasted and the quality and proportion of fat and other
ingredients used in the process are crucial for flavor, aroma and price.
Of course, chocolate is
rich in calories, but oh boy it's worth a try once in a while.
The good news is that chocolate,
(especially dark chocolate) if consumed moderately, can be beneficially for your
health, stimulates the brain, is considered an aphrodisiac and, most important
of all, makes people happy.
Have you ever seen somebody
eating a delicious piece of chocolate and looking depressed?
A praise to the Mayas for
leaving us this fantastic legacy.
So if you are still
looking for the perfect sweet treat for
Mother's Day celebration, look no further.
These mini cakes are so good;
they will melt your heart.
Please don't let yourself
impress by their sophisticated looks, they are actually quite easy to prepare,
the whole trick lies in not overbaking them.
A crunchy rind and a
delicious liquid chocolate filling at the center are heaven for chocolate
lovers and they are addictive too, no rehab needed.
For the molten chocolate cakes you need:
100g of butter
60g of (powdered) sugar
150g excellent quality
semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 medium size eggs
2 yolks
2 spoonful of all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
1\2 cup of whipped cream
Method:
With a brush,grease bottom
and sides of six ( FOUR 6 oz.) standard muffin molds evenly with liquid
butter and dust them with cocoa.
Remove excess cocoa by
turning them upside down. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 175 C (400 F).
In a double boiler, melt
the butter and chocolate over simmering water (water should not boil!)
the color of rich, dark choclate and melted butter
Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the
eggs and the egg yolks one at a time
and beat well with an electric mixer together
with the sugar 
until the mixtures is pale in color and fluffy.
Then beat in the melted chocolate
and flour
Mix well until the batter
is smooth.
Spoon into prepared cups.
Let me share a little baking secret with you: Place one small piece of choclate in the center of the muffin moldit will help to obtain the chocolate filling liquid in the center of the cakes.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or
until edges of dessert are firm but centers are still soft.
(Tops will be puffed.)
Let stand 2-3 minutes.
Run small knife along sides
of cakes to loosen.
Invert into heat proofed
dessert plates.
Dust with powdered sugar.
and
serve warm with a bit of whipped cream (optional)
Serves 6 p.
Enjoy!
