The Day of Chocolate.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, GUILHERME BRODT. Third Birthday we've been together and I hate that we're apart <3 I love you.

Back to the sweets. You wanted it, right? Right. So, tonight after a long day of classes and skating (Tuesdays & Thursdays are my less crazy days. Expect Recipes then) I put together two recipes. First, I did Mini molten chocolate cakes and then followed up with a home made (easy!) college-friendly chocolate mousse ice cream. Both recipes use chocolate, and eggs, so that was my connection. The molten cake calls for yolks in addition to whole eggs, and the ice cream required egg whites so you waste less if you make both the same day like I did. =] My lovely boyfriend bought me a winter gift, my favorite starbucks peppermint syrup flavor, so I added some of that to the ice cream for a refreshing touch, but it was just as delicious without! Gui and I are both HUGE fans of the mint and chocolate combination, so I made the mousse in his honor for his birthday =]

So, The Molten-Center Chocolate "Volcano" Cakes
I have to say I love these because they're small and individual. Through my senior year in high school, I'd often cook dinner for my Grandmother and my boyfriend, Gui. After dinner, I often made new desserts. I'd serve these with vanilla or mint chocolate chip ice cream. They aren't too sweet, which makes them perfect if you want chocolate without a sugar rush.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 stick of butter
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks (save the whites in a separate bowl if you'd like for mousse/ice cream!
1 cup of powdered sugar
6 tablespoons of flour

1. preheat oven to 425.
2. grease either 8 spaces in a muffin tin, or 5 ramekins
3. melt butter and chocolate together, either in a microwave or a double boiler system (we'll go over that technique in a later post if you don't)
4. incorporate eggs, and gradually add sugar and flour until mixed well
5. the batter should be about the consistency of a brownie batter, it will be a little firm
6. fill no more that 3/4 of each container
7. bake from 10-13 minutes (9-10 if it's in a muffin tin) or until the tops are solid. it's ok if the cakes are wiggly when you take them out, they should be
8. let the cakes sit for a minute, and invert
9. serve with whipped cream, ice cream, caramel, or whatever you'd like! enjoy!

an example of one i made at home, inverted with ice cream and caramel. my grandmother used to love melty soft ice cream, so that's why it's sunken on the plate.

I used the microwave to melt this because of my lack of resources. however,  melt them together

the egg yolks and eggs will make the mixture very loose, but don't worry to much, its good!

flour seems like it will never blend in.

just keep mixing.

...and mixing.

Until it's about here! look, consistency of a brownie!

at home i use the individuals, but muffin trays work well too!

they will seem on cooked, and jiggly, but thats exactly what you want! but, you must remember to allow the cakes to rest a full minute before you invert.

....the moment of truth!

I didn't greas the bottoms enough, so that's why the few in front had holes. however, still delicious, and they look more like volcanos!

delicious, creamy inside! heaven!

Now, the new recipe: The (mint) Chocolate mousse ice cream recipe
I used Bobby Flay's ingredients with slight variation. Instead of mixing eggs (because I didn't have a mixer) I threw them in a blender, so I didn't get the exact consistency I needed for a firm mousse. Also, I used semi-sweet chocolate instead of the bittersweet kind, and I didn't add anymore sugar. I also wound up putting the cream in the blender at the end. So basically, i did the eggs and cream separately and added the eggs into the melted chocolate right before adding it all to the cream in the blender. I slipped the mixture into a container, added a tablespoon of Starbuck's peppermint syrup, and voila! I let it sit in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Bobby Flay's Dark Chocolate Moose
This recipe makes a creamy, yet light moussey-frozen cream. It's definitely easy to make and delicious. Also, it give you a reason to use those extra egg whites and chocolate chips!

For a super chocolate-y night, I recommend making both and serving them together.
More soon, I promise. Thursday night, I think I'll be making Chicken and Dumplings, a creamy comforting food perfect for your winter sniffles, and homesickness. (one recipe that my great grandma (bubby), and my loving grandma always made for me) Tomorrow, Wednsday night, I eat at UMASS for the first time with my new 5-college MEAL PASS, and with their award winning dining halls, I couldn't be more excited.

Cocoa is the key to happiness. (unless we're talking about the 10 page paper I'm writing about it...)
-Brooke