Little French Fudge Cakes

Apparently I’ve had a bit of a sweet tooth this month. Cookies, brownies, fudge cakes, not to mention the potato chip cookies I have planned. Is it because it’s February (aka Love Month) or because it’s a No Spend Month and I can’t get sweets anywhere else? Whatever it is I like it.

I raided the freezer for Valentine’s Day and managed to come up with a very nice dinner. I defrosted the rest of the tenderloin that I made for Christmas dinner and I found some roasted red potatoes from my visit to Your Secret Kitchen. I paired that with a green salad and some homemade buttermilk bread and voila, a lovely dinner. I really don’t like going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day. EVERYONE goes out for dinner and that just takes away the romance of it for me. Besides, I love cooking and husband knows that a good meal is a gift from me to him.

Valentine's Day at home dinner for three!

I wanted to make a special dessert to take over to my parent’s house to share with them. They invited us over for dinner but I had been planning on eating that tenderloin for a loooong time. I wanted to share some time with my parents though, since Valentine’s Day is, at least for me, about being with the ones you love.

A little over a week ago this pretty recipe showed up in my inbox and wowed me with its simplicity. I did need to buy the chocolate but that was a simple add to the shopping list. Everything else was in the pantry. I can honestly say it took me about five minutes to make the batter. I needed to cook the cakes for 20 minutes, but every oven is different. The recipe makes six cakes and can easily be doubled. USE GOOD CHOCOLATE!

These cakes are insanely rich. I recommend serving them with either ice cream or whipped cream or as Lynne suggests a glass of port! I wouldn’t recommend this sweet treat for kiddos. Keep it to the adults!

Enjoy!

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

1 ½ oz. unsweetened chocolate, broken up
5 T. unsalted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk (for a double recipe, use 5 eggs)
½ cup plus 2 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 T. flour
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate bar, broken into bite-sized pieces

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a dark metal 6-cup cupcake tin.

Combine the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates with the butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Melt them for two to three minutes at medium-low power. Check by stirring, as chocolate holds its shape when microwaved. Or melt it in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.

In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, vanilla, eggs and yolk, sugar, and salt until creamy. Stir in the flour to blend thoroughly. Then stir in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Finally, blend in the bite-sized pieces of chocolate. Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each three-quarters full.

Bake the cupcakes for 18 minutes. Insert a knife into the center of a cupcake. It should come out with some streaks of thick batter. If you have any doubt about doneness, press the top of a cupcake to see if it is nearly firm. Remove them from the oven. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a rack for five to ten minutes to serve warm, or for 20 minutes to serve at room temperature.

Adapted from The Splendid Table's ® How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift