Muddled Meals: Aztec Chocolate Lava Cake

 As your spoon breaks through the sponge-y exterior of this delectable chocolate cake, and molten liquid fudge pours out, you find yourself enveloped in what can only be described as death by chocolate. Invented by chef extraordinaire Jean-Georges Vongerichten as an accident, the Molten Lava Cake has taken on many forms, but one thing remains constant, the oozing hot center for which it’s named.

For our most recent Cloak & Dinner: The Time Machine, I’ve taken the French classic that literally melts in your mouth and added a spicy twist to awaken your taste buds. Easy to prepare, these delicious treats are a surefire way to impress even the toughest dessert critic.

Aztec Chocolate Lava Cakes
Preparation Time: 15 minutes || Cooking Time: 10 minutes || Yield 4 servings
Ingredients

• 6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
• 6 oz. Butter (Room Temperature & Diced)
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 cup Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• Orange
• Powdered Sugar
• Butter for Ramekins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt the chocolate on a low flame in double boiler. (Or if you don’t have a double boiler, very carefully microwave the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until its liquid smooth.)
3. While your chocolate is melting, in another bowl beat together the eggs and sugar until it starts to whiten and foam up.
4. Take the melted chocolate off the heat and stir in the butter, cayenne, cinnamon and chili powder. Keep mixing until all of the butter is melted.
5. Mix the chocolate into the egg mixture, and then very quickly mix in the flour until it’s all incorporated.
6. Butter 4 individual ramekins and then pour in the chocolate batter.
7. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, then immediately tip the ramekins upside down onto a dessert plate.
8. Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and some orange zest to serve.

Tips & tricks

• You can prepare your Aztec Chocolate Lava Cake batter ahead of time and then simply toss your pre-made cakes into the oven 10 minutes before serving.
• Play with the cooking time, 10 minutes gives a nice cake exterior with a melted chocolate interior, but if you prefer more liquid cake then bake for a shorter time, or if you’d prefer a stiffer cake, add on a minute or two!

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
• 6 oz. Butter (Room Temperature & Diced)
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 cup Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• Orange Zest
• Powdered Sugar
• Butter for Ramekins

Preheat your oven & melt your chocolate!

 Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt the chocolate on a low flame in double boiler. (Or if you don’t have a double boiler, very carefully microwave the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until its liquid smooth.)


Crack your eggs & add the sugar.

While your chocolate is melting, in another bowl crack 3 eggs and add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.


Whisk it all together.

Vigorously beat together the eggs and sugar until it starts to whiten and foam up.


Take the chocolate off the heat.

Take the melted chocolate off the heat and place on the counter.


Add the spices.

Stir in the cayenne, cinnamon and chili powder to flavor the Aztec chocolate.


Melt the butter.

Add in the room temperature butter to the still hot chocolate. Keep mixing until all of the butter is melted.


Which came first, the chocolate or the egg?

Mix the melted chocolate & butter batter into the egg mixture.


Add in the flour!

Then, working quickly so there aren't any lumps, mix in the flour into the batter until it’s all incorporated.


Butter your ramekins!

Butter 4 individual ramekins and then pour in the chocolate batter.  (Or if you don't have ramekins, you can use lightly buttered silicon pinch bowls or cupcake molds.)


Bake your cakes.

Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, then immediately tip the ramekins upside down onto a dessert plate. 


Enjoy!

Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and some orange zest to serve.

Tips & tricks

• You can prepare your Aztec Chocolate Lava Cake batter ahead of time and then simply toss your pre-made cakes into the oven 10 minutes before serving.
• Play with the cooking time, 10 minutes gives a nice cake exterior with a melted chocolate interior, but if you prefer more liquid cake then bake for a shorter time, or if you’d prefer a stiffer cake, add on a minute or two!

Muddled Meals: The Duck Confit & Orange Marmalade "Cinnabon" Roll

At our most recent Cloak & Dinner: Rags to Riches, we cobbled together an eclectic menu full of what we'll lovingly call "college" food and classed it up a bit with smoked this, pate that, bacon wrapped bison.  7 courses & 4 cocktails later, we unveiled our "surprise guest" a take-home "Cinnabon" morning roll so our guests could continue the party well into the morning (although from hearing reviews post-dinner, I'm guessing most of those rolls didn't quite make it to the next day...)

But since these were Cinnabon's gon rags to riches, we of course added our own little twist... a heavy helping of Duck Confit & Orange Marmalade!  Because, why not?  One of my hero duo's in the culinary world are the extremely talented Aki & Alex of Ideas in Food, a collection of inspired ideas, photos & videos of their adventures & experiments.  I look to them for little clues as to how to make everything I make even better & when I saw them post photos of their insanely delicious breakfast, I knew I had to try it myself. 

And boy did these turn out well... So well in fact, that I feel compelled to share my take on their idea here!

The Duck Confit & Orange Marmalade "Cinnabon" Roll
prep 2 days + 2 hours || bake 30-40 minutes || yields 3 dozen

• 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tbl instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tbl kosher salt
• 4 lg eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup mashed Duck Rillets
• 1 jar of Orange Marmalade
• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2-3 fresh oranges
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp water

First, mix up a batch of simple brioche.  The trick here is to prep it 2-3 days ahead of time so it has loads of time to rise in the fridge.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, honey, melted butter, yeast & salt.  Once your starter is nice & mixed, slowly add in the flour.  Get your hands in there & work it in, making sure not to leave any tiny dry bits.  It's pretty overwhelming mixing in 7 cups of flour, but the end is totally worth it!  Cover it up and stick it in the refrigerator at the very least overnight, but give it a few days to really set up.

When you're ready to make the rolls... first thing's first.  Take the dough out of the fridge, divide it into thirds.  Take the first batch, flour your board & rolling pin & shape the dough into a large ball with no air pockets.  Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

Roll out the dough into the largest square (or oval if you can't quite get the square right) as possible.  You'll know your dough is ready if it doesn't keep springing back into a smaller state.  Make sure that you keep your board well floured so the dough won't stick.  Once it's rolled out, evenly spread your duck confit on top.  Then spoon out 1/3 of your Orange Marmalade making sure to cover the entire area.  Brush with melted butter & sprinkle with sugar.

Then, very carefully, start rolling it up.  Make sure to keep it tight as you're rolling.  Once you have a log, flour a serrated knife & cut the roll into 12 pieces.  Place your rolls into a greased pan, cover with a towel & let it rise for another 1-2 hours. (Yes I know there's a lot of waiting around, but really, it's worth it!)

Preheat your oven to 350F & then bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the tops are nice & browned.  While your rolls are baking, mix up a simple glaze with the powdered sugar & water.  Zest the oranges & set aside.

When your rolls come out nice & hot, drizzle on some "icing" dust with orange zest & a sprinkle with a little cinnamon!  Enjoy!