Molten Chocolate Cake for Two

That man of mine is in Vegas with the guys...

Yes, it's scary.

But he works so hard, he deserves to play hard every now and then know what I'm sayin'?

It just means sleepless nights and lots of wine for the girlfriend...but relationships sometimes require sacrifices right?

One more day and I can sleep again. ;)

I bring him up because this dessert was how we ended our Valentine's dinner this year. I'm the chocolate freak but even he floated out of his chair a bit after taking a bite into this.

What's great is this is a recipe for two.

Cute right?

Molten Chocolate Cake for Two
From Traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
cocoa powder (for the ramekins)
confectioners' sugar (for dusting, optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Generously butter two 6-oz ramekins and dust them with cocoa powder.

Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted and smooth. I like to do 30-second bursts at 50% power and stir in between each. In total, it'll probably take about 1 1/2 - 3 minutes, depending on your microwave.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg with a hand mixer on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the egg forms soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Still beating, gradually add the sugar and salt. Once incorporated, beat for another 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and pale yellow in color.

Use a rubber spatula to transfer the egg mixture to the bowl containing the melted butter and chocolate. Sift the flour over the top, then use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together, just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins, smoothing the tops with your spatula. Put the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the cakes have puffed slighty and jiggle just a bit in the center when gently shaken. Immediately upon removing the cakes from the oven, run a knife around the edges of the ramekins. Invert the ramekins onto serving plates and let them sit for about 1 minute or so, until the cakes release from the ramekins. Remove the ramekins and, if using, dust the cakes with confectioners' sugar then serve immediately.