Molten Chocolate Cakes With Earl Grey Ice Cream Food

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH EARL GREY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Butter six ring molds measuring 2 1/2 inches high and 2 3/4 inches in diameter. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and set aside.
• Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and heat until melted. Stir mixture to combine.
• Combine the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl, and whisk until mixture is pale yellow and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate mixture to egg-yolk mixture, and stir to combine.
• Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat until frothy. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each ring, and place a truffle in the center of each. Spoon the remaining batter over the truffles, and place in the freezer to set, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the baking sheet with the filled ring molds to the oven, and bake cakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sides are set but center is still soft. Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cakes (still in the ring molds) to a serving plate. Lift the ring molds, and remove them. Serve the cakes warm with Earl Grey ice cream, and garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.

ALMOST-FAMOUS MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cakes: Brush four 1 1/4-cup brioche molds (or use 10-ounce ramekins or jumbo muffin cups) with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Dust the molds with cocoa powder and tap out the excess.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Bring the milk and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; set aside.
• Combine the vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons room-temperature butter and the sugar in a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder and the vanilla; beat 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl. Add 1 egg and beat 1 minute on medium-low speed, then add the remaining egg and beat 1 more minute.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture, then the hot milk mixture. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the molds, filling each slightly more than three-quarters of the way.
• Transfer the molds to a baking sheet and bake until the tops of the cakes are domed and the centers are just barely set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack; let the cakes cool until they pull away from the molds, about 30 minutes.

EARL GREY TEA CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE ZEST

Steps:

• Prepare the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup/120 milliliters heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the tea, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and chill the remaining cream until completely cold, at least 1 hour.
• Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, baking powder and salt.
• In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the milk. (Don't overmix.) Add the chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
• To finish the frosting, add the remaining 1/4 cup/60 milliliters cream and the confectioners' sugar to the tea cream. With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until stiff peaks form. (Do not overmix.) Top the cake with the frosting to serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; let come to room temperature before serving.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Put the butter in a medium bowl and melt it in the microwave. Add the chocolate to the hot butter and stir until melted.
• Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, and add 2 more yolks (discard the extra whites). Add the sugar, and beat or whisk until light and thick, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and 2 teaspoons flour to the melted chocolate; beat until combined.
• Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds or ramekins (make sure not to miss any spots, or the cakes will stick). Tap out the excess flour. Divide the batter among the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate them for up to 3 hours; just bring them back to room temperature before baking.)
• When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 450. Put the molds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cakes have puffed up a bit, the tops are barely set and the cakes still jiggle slightly when shaken, 7 to 9 minutes (better underbaked than overbaked). Let sit for 1 minute.
• Put a plate on top of the ramekin and (with a potholder to protect your hand) carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Let it sit for 10 seconds, then lift up the ramekin. Serve immediately, with ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream.

EARL GREY ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare an ice bath, and set aside. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat until pale yellow and very thick, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Place the milk, cream, and tea bags in a medium saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat; cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and return the mixture to a boil. Gradually pour half of the milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan.
• Cook combined mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the mixture into a bowl set in the ice bath, and chill completely. Freeze in an ice-cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions, until the ice cream just holds its shape. Transfer the ice cream to a metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE OOOOZY CAKE

Steps:

• Make the Cakes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease the tins and set aside.
• In a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks, and sugar. Whisk the egg mixture into chocolate mixture; then whisk in the flour.
• Fill the tins with the batter and bake for 4 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate the cakes until ready to bake, up to a day in advance. If baking cold, do so for 5 to 6 minutes.)
• Paint the bottoms of several shallow soup plates with the chocolate bergamont paint. Immediately unmold the cakes onto the plates. Place a pinch of cocoa nibs beside each cake (as a small stand for the ice cream), and place a scoop of star anise ice cream on top of each. Drizzle the citrus reduction around each plate and dust with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder.
• 4 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup brewed tea (recommended: Earl Grey)
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• In the top half of a double boiler, combine the 2 chocolates over simmering water. Stir constantly until melted; then whisk in the tea and syrup, without removing the double boiler from the heat. Whisk until smooth and shiny.
• If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a touch of hot water. Using a brush, paint the sauce onto plate before serving.
• (The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated. To rewarm, stir over low heat or heat in a microwave.)
• Yield: approximately 1 1/4 cups
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 heaping tablespoon star anise pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 9 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half, cream, star anise, ground cinnamon, vanilla, and cinnamon stick, whisking occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off the heat and let the flavors infuse for 10 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. In a thin stream, whisk half of the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Then pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan containing the rest of the cream mixture.
• Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. At 160 degrees, the mixture will give off a puff of steam. When the mixture reaches 180 degrees it will be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. If you don't have a thermometer, test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the stripe remains clear, the mixture is ready; if the edges blur, the mixture is not quite thick enough yet. When it is ready, quickly remove it from the heat.
• Meanwhile, put 2 handfuls of ice cubes in a large bowl, and add enough cold water to cover. Rest a smaller bowl in the ice water. Pour the cream mixture through a fine sieve into the smaller bowl, to remove the vanilla bean pieces and cinnamon sticks. Chill 3 hours; then freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions
• Yield: 1 quart
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low until reduced to a thick syrup. Chill before using.
• Yield: approximately 1/3 cup

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut cherries in half; place cherries and their juices in a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup sugar, cherry brandy and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove 1/4 cup cherries; chop and set aside., In a double boiler or metal bowl over hot water, melt butter and chocolates; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks and remaining sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in cocoa and flour until well blended. Gradually beat in chocolate mixture. Fold in chopped cherries., Transfer to 6 greased 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160° and sides of cakes are set, 15-17 minutes., Remove from oven and let stand 1 minute. Run a knife around edges of ramekins; invert onto dessert plates. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately with warm cherry sauce.

FRENCH MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Place butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine eggs and egg yolk in a bowl. Add sugar and whisk until mixture is light yellow in color and sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Pour some of the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, whisking quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Add remaining chocolate and whisk until combined and smooth. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and salt; fold in with a spatula until combined.
• Butter four 5-ounce ramekins and dust with cocoa powder. Spoon batter into the prepared ramekins, tapping gently to settle any air bubbles. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place ramekins in a baking dish and bake until edges start to pull away from the sides, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Liberally spray six (6-ounce) ramekins with nonstick spray.
• In a small saucepan over low heat melt the chocolate and butter, stirring often to prevent burning; remove from heat and cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar with electric hand mixer until"ribbon" stage, approximately 7 minutes; At that stage, it will be pale yellow and look like lightly whipped cream.
• Add flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
• Beat the batter for 2 additional minutes; add the melted chocolate mixture and beat another 5 minutes (The batter needs a lot of beating; this incorporates air, lightening the cake's texture).
• Scoop the batter into the prepared ramekins, approximately 3/4 cup of batter in each ramekin.
• NOTE: At this point, the cakes can be refrigerated and then baked later.
• When ready to bake, place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake 15 to 17 minutes or until puffed and mostly dry on top around edges.
• NOTE: It's critical to bake these cakes for the right amount of time otherwise, they'll either be way too"molten," or end up as brownies, oven temperatures vary, so check the cakes after 15 minutes; if they're really moist on top, bake one minute and check again.
• Remove cakes from oven and let rest 3 minutes (it's okay if they sink a little).
• To unmold, place serving plate on top of ramekin and invert.
• Carefully remove ramekin, tapping lightly on the plate to loosen cake.

WINTER-SPICED MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH RUM-GINGER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For ice cream:
• Place softened ice cream in medium bowl. Using plastic spatula, fold ginger and rum into ice cream. Transfer to airtight container. Freeze ice cream mixture until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.)
• For cakes:
• Generously butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes. Stir chocolate, butter, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and white pepper in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 3 cups powdered sugar, then chocolate mixture, then flour. Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to top and dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake cakes until batter has risen above dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Allow cakes to rest in dishes 5 minutes. Using hot pad and holding dish very firmly, place plate gently atop 1 cake and invert onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Dust with powdered sugar. Top with crystallized ginger. Serve cakes with rum-ginger ice cream.

EMERIL'S EASY MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Butter and flour 4 (6-ounce) ramekins or baking dishes, tapping out the excess flour.
• Set on a baking sheet.
• In a double boiler, or a glass bowl set over a pan of boiling water, melt butter with the chocolate, cream, and powdered sugar, stirring until smooth.
• Remove from the heat.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt until thick ribbons form, about 3 minutes.
• Sift flour into the egg mixture and fold together.
• Fold the chocolate into the egg mixture. Divide among the prepared dishes and bake until the sides of the cake are set and the tops are puffed but still soft, about 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool in the ramekins for 2 minutes, then unmold onto dessert plates.
• Sprinkle cocoa over the cakes, and serve.
• Fresh berries, ice cream or whipped cream make a nice accompaniment.