Bon Appetit Desserts (36 page)

Winter-Spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream

These cakes can be completely assembled the day before, then quickly baked before serving. Even though it goes against all the traditional rules of baking cakes, be sure to remove these from the oven while the centers are still soft and gooey—or “molten.” Once the tops of the cakes are broken with a spoon, the soft centers become the sauce.
Makes 8

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

1 tablespoon dark rum

14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

6 large eggs

6 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

Additional powdered sugar

Crystallized ginger strips

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.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.

CAKES
: Generously butter eight ¾-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 powdered sugar, then chocolate mixture, then flour. Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to top.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake cakes until batter has risen above sides of dish, top edges are dark brown, and center is still soft and runny, about 15 minutes (or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter). Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Allow cakes to stand in dishes 5 minutes. Place small plate atop 1 dish with cake. Using oven mitts or pot holders, hold plate and dish firmly together and invert, allowing cake to settle onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Sift additional powdered sugar over cakes. Top with crystallized ginger strips. Serve cakes with rum-ginger ice cream.

Chocolate-Mint Pudding Cakes

To avoid overbaking the pudding in the middle of these cakes, start checking early for doneness—unlike most other traditional cakes, the tester should come out with wet batter attached. You can make your own superfine sugar by pulverizing granulated sugar in a food processor until it is finely ground; but this recipe can also be made with regular sugar.
Makes 6

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

⅓ cup superfine sugar or regular sugar

¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour

1¼ teaspoons peppermint extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar

Peppermint stick ice cream or mint chocolate chip ice cream

Fresh mint leaves

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter six ¾-cup ramekins or custard cups. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in large bowl until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add flour and beat until blended. Add chocolate mixture, peppermint extract, and salt; beat just until incorporated. Divide chocolate mixture among prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on baking sheet.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Bake cakes until edges are set but center looks shiny and still moves slightly when ramekins are gently shaken and tester inserted into center comes out with wet batter attached, about 11 minutes. Run small knife around each cake to loosen.

Place small plate atop 1 ramekin with pudding cake. Using oven mitts or pot holders, hold plate and ramekin firmly together and invert, allowing cake to settle onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Sift powdered sugar over cakes. Place scoop of ice cream alongside. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes with Marbled Raspberry Cream

These little lemon cakes hide a sweet surprise: a soft, pudding-like center They’re best served warm with the cool contrast of the swirled raspberry whipped cream, but they can also be made ahead and served at room temperature.
Makes 6

¾ cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

3 large eggs, separated, room temperature

⅓ cup unbleached all purpose flour

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

1½ cups whole milk

Powdered sugar

Marbled Raspberry Cream (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six ¾-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Place dishes in 13×9×2-inch metal baking pan. Using electric mixer, beat ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and lemon peel in medium bowl until well blended. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour, then lemon juice. Gradually whisk in milk (mixture will be thin and may look curdled).

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions (mixture will be runny). Divide batter among prepared soufflé dishes. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of dishes.

Bake pudding cakes until puffed and firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer dishes to plates. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm, or let stand up to 8 hours and serve at room temperature. Top with dollops of Marbled Raspberry Cream.

Marbled Raspberry Cream

A bright pink raspberry puree is swirled into sweetened whipped cream. It would be beautiful as a topping for flourless chocolate cake, or even waffles.
Makes about 1⅔ cups

1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

4 tablespoons sugar, divided

¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Puree raspberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in processor. Strain puree into small bowl; discard seeds. Whisk cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until peaks form. Drizzle raspberry puree over cream. Using knife, swirl raspberry puree into cream just until marbled in appearance.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Hot-Milk Cakes with Strawberries and Cream

Hot-milk cake is a nice old-fashioned dessert, but its simplicity gives it a modern appeal. The moist, delicate cake gets its name from the hot milk that is added to the batter just before baking. In this recipe, the individual cakes are split, then topped with fresh strawberries and lightly sweetened whipped cream, like shortcakes.
Makes 6

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 large eggs

⅔ cup plus ½ cup sugar

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour

⅔ cup whole milk