Chocolate Molten Cake with Caramel Heart

After returning from the countryside last week the whole kitchen was full of fresh vegetables and fruits waiting their turn to be processed, pickled, cut, frozen, cured, etc. Plus, we finally received the long expected wooden doors for the new kitchen cabinets that Ivan and his father made. And now there's a lot of work to be done since the doors are not even polished. We wanted the doors to be wooden, painted in white but the wood structure to be visible and looking like old piece, and all this done with eco friendly materials. Oh, it's complicated, thus no carpenter agreed to take the order, so now we are trying to make it by ourselves. But it's a lot of work and our home is a total mess, but at least it smells like a pine forest.

So we haven't baked much lately, barring a pumpkin pastry with home made phyllo dough which although ashamed I have to admit that I forgot in the oven way too long, and, let say it that way, it wasn't appropriate for publishing.

Besides watching all the past series of Top Chef Just Dessert in two days makes you crave and yearn for baking. It was time to brake the baking silence and to indulge our sweet crave as well.

Chocolate molten cake is something we make when we long for a quick and easy warming chocolate treat. We are keeping a jar of the caramel sauce within easy reach in the fridge. And usually we are making only a fourth of the recipe which makes enough for two small ramequins. And usually at the end I'm licking the plate and if Ivan isn't watching me I'm licking his plate too, yup, it's that good.

Chocolate Molten Cake with Caramel Heart Recipe:
Serves 6 – 8 depending on the ramequins size

For the Caramel Heart:

• 40 gr sugar;
• 20 gr glucose;
• 90 gr heavy cream;
• pinch of sea salt crystals;
• 1gr gum arabic + 20 gr water (optional).

Dissolve the gum arabic in the water then add to the heavy cream.
Make a dry caramel of sugar and glucose then pour in the heavy cream. Be careful as it's very hot and bubbles. At the last moment add the sea salt.
Put in a jar and refrigerate for at least one hour or until neaded.
Gum arabic develops the consistency but it's use is optional, so if not available omit it.

For the Molten Chocolate Cake:

• 100 gr butter;
• 160 gr dark chocolate (we used Cacao Barry's Mexique chocolate);
• 4 eggs;
• 60 gr confectioner's sugar;
• 40 gr cake flour;
• 20 gr corn starch;
• butter and cacao powder for the ramequins.

Preheat the oven to 200º C
Butter and dust with cacao powder 6 ramequins (ours are small so the mixture makes enough for 8). Espresso cups could either be used.

Sift together the dry ingredients – sugar, flour and starch.

In another bowl whisk the eggs just enough to break and homogenize them.

Melt the butter and the chocolate. Let cool then mix in the eggs. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Fill till half the ramequins with the chocolate mixture. Place a teaspoon of the caramel in the middle then top up with the rest of the chocolate mixture. Bake for 10 – 11 minutes. Plate and garnish with caramel ornaments and sea salt, if desired.