Classic Food & Wine
I will admit . . . I have been a little disenchanted with some of the latest issues of Food & Wine magazine. Usually, I am able to flip through the magazine and bookmark a good handful of recipes to add to my “I will make this someday list.” Lately, however, I have bookmarked less and less.
This is why I was pleasantly surprised when the 30th Anniversary Issue arrived in my mailbox and the number of recipes that peaked my interest more than made up for the lack of recipes I had bookmarked in recent months. This issue of Food & Wine magazine takes us back to what I consider to be classic Food & Wine style . . . recipes that are elegant and unique, yet not so overwhelmingly complicated that it turns novice cooks away.
Some of the recipes that caught my eye were Chunky Guacamole with Cumin, Watermelon Salad with Feta, Triple-Tomato Penne, Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken, Skillet Apple Charlotte, Chipotle Shrimp Tostadas, Stir Fried Five Spice Pork with Lettuce Cups, and my favorite . . . Molten Chocolate Cake with Caramel Filling.
Thank you Food & Wine for bringing classic back and sharing with us some of the trends of the past and the future. I can only hope that one trend that falls into my mailbox each month is a Food & Wine magazine packed with great recipes that readers like me love.
Molten Chocolate Cake with Caramel Filling
ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, plus melted butter for brushing
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 6 ounces dark chocolate (70 percent cacao), chopped
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 4 heaping teaspoons of cold, store-bought caramel sauce
- Flaky Maldon sea salt for sprinkling
- Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling
directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Brush four 6-ounce ramekins with melted butter. In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of the flour; dust the ramekins with the cocoa mixture, tapping out the excess. Transfer the ramekins to a sturdy baking sheet.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter with the chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.
- In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the granulated sugar with the eggs and salt at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the melted chocolate until no streaks remain. Fold in the 1/4 cup of flour.
- Spoon two-thirds of the batter into the prepared ramekins, then spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of caramel into each ramekin. Sprinkle with sea salt and cover with the remaining chocolate batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 16 minutes, until the tops are cracked but the centers are still slightly jiggly. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let cool for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Run the tip of a small knife around each cake to loosen. Invert a small plate over each cake and, using pot holders, invert again. Carefully lift off the ramekins. Dust the warm cakes with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.
