Baked Molten Fudge Cakes

The basics for this recipe gave me the idea for the final version, Where I got it from I don't recall.  Its really a soupier version of a molten lava cake that you don't have to try and flip out of the ramekin.  Plop on a big scoop of coffee ice cream when done and you are in heaven.

I used Surfas Black Onyx cocoa powder as its sooooo much richer in chocolate flavor than the usual stuff at the groc.  If you can't find Black Onyx, Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder is a very close replication of what I used.  

Superfine sugar dissolves easier than regular table sugar.  Its worth the few extra pennies in this recipe to use it.  The regular sugar doesn't dissolve completely and leaves a gritty texture.  And texture is everything with this treat.

Baked Molten Fudge Cakes

• 12 T (1 1/2 sticks) butter melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 1/8 t sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t coffee extract
• 3T heaping cocoa powder
• 3T all purpose flour
• 4 12 oz ramekins
• 13X9 baking dish
• 4-5 C boiling water
• Coffee Ice Cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 325F

Melt butter and set aside to cool.  

Place eggs in mixer with whisk attachment and beat on high until light lemon colored and fluffy.  The eggs should fall from beater in a ribbon...about 5 minutes.  Don't skimp here as this is what gives the airy texture to the final product.

Beat in sugar until dissolved.  Beat in vanilla, salt and coffee extract.  Reduce speed and fold in cocoa powder and flour.  Pour in melted butter and stir until just mixed.  Don't over-beat this last step.

Divide the batter between the 4 ramekins.  Place ramekins in the 13X9 baking dish.  Gently pour in boiling water until it comes up half way up the sides of the ramekins.  Be careful not to splash water into the batter as it will ruin the batch.

Bake in oven 50-55 minutes until the top is crackly set.  Do not bake through.  Remove from oven, remove ramekins from water bath and let cool 5-10 minutes.  Place ramekin on a desert plate, top with scoop of ice cream.  Enjoy while warm and melty.

Molten Fudgy Coffee Brownies

From the side of a coffee can great ideas come forth.  This browney recipe got its inspiration from the side of the coffee can for some French Roast under the Pavillions house label.  Silly them, all I need is proportions and am good to go.

I used a really good coffee extract from Surfas, rather than deal with using real coffee grounds in the batter as their recipe called for.  Also rather than using some "unsweetened" generic chocolate I used 70% chocolate Guanaja feves from Valrhona.  Again its all in the name of flavor.  Even the vanilla extract is pure bourbon extract not that coal tar based artificial flavor crap.  Good stuff gets one great results.  

A little experimentation and I got a Brownie that has a soft set fudge center when warm that is awesome next to some ice cream.  Trust me on this, with the gooey fudgey center you won't need a hot fudge for the ice cream.

Molten Fudgey Coffee Brownie

• 1/2 c boiling water
  
• 1 t coffee extract
  
• 4 1/2 oz guanaja 70% chocolate
  
• 3/4 c unsalted butter (room temp)
  
• 1/4 t salt
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 t vanilla
  
• 1 c all purpose flour
  
• 1 c chopped nuts - optional
  

Line 8" square baking pan with foil.  Heat oven to 300F.

Put chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl.  Add coffee extract, salt and boiling water.   All to sit a minute or two and stir until smooth and everything is melted.   Microwave 30 seconds at a time to melt it all if needed.  Allow to cool while beating eggs.

Put eggs and sugar in mixing bowl and beat until ribbons form (about 5 minutes) with the paddle attachment.  Beat in vanilla.  Add  1/3 flour and 1/3 chocolate mixture, beat well.  Alternate the remaining additions ending with chocolate.  Fold in optional nuts if you are using.

Pour into prepared pan.  Bake 55-60 minutes until tester comes out wet but not runny.  Cool in the pan 30-45 minutes.  When ready to serve lift the brownie out by grabbing the edges of the foil.  Serve warm and gooey with ice cream on the side.

Make sure your pan is well lined as this is an extremely runny batter.  It also is heavy enough if you don't use a sturdy pan you will have bendy problems.  I used a pyrex pan as the carry over heat will keep the brownie a bit warmer longer than a metal pan.