Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

½ cup butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (baking squares are best)
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 8 6-ounce ramekins with a generous amount of butter, and sprinkle with sugar.

Over a double boiler, combine butter, chocolate, and cream. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and flour until smooth. Set aside. Mix on high speed, egg, egg yolks, and sugar until thick and lemon colored, about 10 minutes. Fold egg mixture, one third at a time into chocolate mixture. Be careful not to deflate the eggs. Divide batter into prepared cups evenly.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes until edges of cake are set and center still jiggles. Cool for 3 minutes. White knife, loosen cakes from side of each cup, and turn each out onto dessert plates. Serve immediately.

© Recipe Property of Shawona Jones

Cardamom Cream

Makes ½ cup

INGREDIENTS

½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cardamom seeds, taken out of pods and lightly crushed
1 vanilla bean, scraped

DIRECTIONS

In a medium-sized chilled bowl, add cream and begin to whisk. Once cream starts to thicken, add rest of ingredients and beat until medium-stiff peaks form.

© Recipe Property of Ger-Nis