WARM CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH MOLTEN CENTERS

Warm Chocolate Cupcakes with Molten Centers image

Wolfgang PuckAt home, baking these is one of the easiest and tastiest ways I know to make a great impression on your dinner guests. Most recipes, including my own, call for just a few ingredients - chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and a dash of flour. You combine them very quickly. And the cakes don't take long to bake - barely more than 10 minutes. The dessert even qualifies as a make-ahead recipe, especially convenient for a sophisticated Halloween party or for any of your holiday entertaining soon to come. Mix the batter in advance and store it unbaked in the refrigerator, ready to pop into the oven while you're making coffee. Or you can even bake the cakes slightly underdone and return them to a preheated oven for the last few minutes of baking just before you serve them. Once you've perfected the process, you'll be ready to try a truly decadent variation. Spoon most of the batter into the C. and then push a bite-sized flavored chocolate truffle into the center of each before topping with the remaining batter. The result is a doubly surprising molten center - a real trick in the middle of your chocolate treat!Click here for Wolfgang Puck's full introduction.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

8 oz. unsalted butter
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/4 C. sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Lightly sweetened whipped cream or good quality vanilla ice cream, for serving

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Put about 3 oz. of the butter in a microwave-proof dish or a small saucepan. Heat in the microwave, or in the pan over low heat, just until the butter has melted. Thoroughly brush the insides of 6 individual 8-oz. custard cups or ramekins with the melted butter.Cut up the remaining butter into pieces. Put the chocolate pieces and the butter pieces in the top pan of a double boiler or a medium heatproof bowl set over but not touching simmering water. Heat them, stirring frequently, until completely melted and smoothly blended. Remove the pan or bowl from the heat and set aside.Put the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer, or in a mixing bowl if you are using a handheld electric mixer. Beat the eggs and sugar together at medium-high speed until the mixture turns pale yellow, thick, and creamy, about 5 minutes.About a third at a time, use a spatula to fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the flour just until no streaks remain. With a ladle or large spoon, transfer this batter to the prepared custard cups or ramekins, filling them about two-thirds full. Put the cups or ramekins on a baking sheet.Bake just until the cakes have risen and their sides look firm, 10-12 minutes, taking care not to over-bake them. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, carefully remove the cups or ramekins from the baking sheet, and set them aside to cool slightly for about 10 minutes before unmolding onto individual serving plates. Or simply place a cup or ramekin on each plate for serving.Offer whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for each person to eat with the cake.Yield: 6 servings(Chef Wolfgang Puck's TV series, "Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class," airs Sundays on the Food Network. Also, his latest cookbook, "Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy," is now available in bookstores. Write Wolfgang Puck in care of Tribune Media Services Inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y. 14207.)©2006 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.