Dive into Chocolate - Adel's Easy March Recipe

By Adel Aschenbrener/Amy Robinson

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, a delectable writing exercise, and an eye-rolling, amazing chocolate dessert--that is all you need to survive. Luckily, we have tasty Writing Pad classes and Adel (pictured here) is whipping up all new gourmet treats for the March workshops! Her lemon panna cotta will fuel your senses and inspire your writing:

• Hello World, Welcome to My Blog (Mar. 20, 2010)
• This Los Angeles Life - Writing for Solo Performance (Mar. 28, 2010)

Sign up by calling 323-333-2954 or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com. Classes are filling up fast!

For her March recipe, Adel feeds your wanton desire for a warm winter dessert. Here she shares a simply divine recipe for Classic Molten Chocolate Cakes for Two.

Get out your ramekins and feed that chocolate monkey on your back!

Adel says:
"My husband and I usually keep Valentine's Day pretty low key. We might have burgers and a bottle of wine, a bacon chocolate bar, or just skip the celebration altogether. This year, we shucked some oysters, cracked open a couple beers and settled in for a night of catching up with the old DVR.

We were halfway through watching 'The Best Thing I Ever Ate - Chocolate' when I found myself in the midst of an undeniable chocolate attack. I simply had to get up and make this dessert, which was featured on show. It took just minutes to throw together and ended up being the perfect warm, gooey, romantic treat for us to share."

Jean George's Classic Molten Chocolate Cakes for Two
1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter
3 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Vahlrona Manjari)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
All-purpose flour or cocoa powder for dusting ramekins

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Butter and lightly flour 2, 6-ounce ramekins (use cocoa powder for a gluten-free version). Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.

Melt the butter with the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. You can also microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt until thickened and pale. You can use an electric mixer, but come on, it's only two eggs, and muscles are sexy! When the mixture has turned the color of butter and barely begins to hold a shape, it's ready.

Stir the chocolate and butter until smooth. Quickly and gently fold it into the egg mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are soft.

Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn each one over, let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold. Serve immediately, preferably with whipped cream or ice cream.