Lava Cakes

This Valentine’s day I spent with my Mom. I personally have a fantastic Mom, she is truly the greatest, always knowing what to do to make one feel better and funny and is just a really good person to hang out with! So, this Valentine’s day I decided to surprise her with a clean kitchen (running the extra mile) and chocolate molten lava cakes. She loved the cakes (and the kitchen, mind you). They were super gooey, chocolate and just an all round great treat making my mother very happy, and she deserves it too for all the work she does! So here’s to all the fantastic mothers out there (I realize that it is not mother’s day but they need our love all year round)!

You’ll get about 8 lava cakes.

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting (optional)
6 large eggs plus 6 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter eight 6-ounce ramekins and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar.

Combine the butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk the flour, confectioners’ sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract in a bowl until creamy. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Divide among the prepared ramekins.

Bake the cakes until the tops are stiff and the edges darken, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a small paring knife and transfer to plates while warm. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

A Dutch Tradition

On Saturday, February the ninth, I made the decadent, the… the rapturous olibole. How did I get an authentic recipe for such a thing? It is simple really. One of our friends came over who grew up with this treat since she was a girl. She came over with her: husband, her baby and her mother (the olibole master). Our house was packed! It was then that we learned the secret behind the olibole.

What is an olibole? Good question. The olibole is a spherical Dutch doughnut (it translates literally to oily  riddled with currents that act as delicious flavour bombs. Traditionally this treat is only made the night before new-years. I know what you’re thinking, ‘but Max, why did you make them and February the ninth?’ well I’ll tell you why! If you recall, Chinese new-year was on February the tenth, February the ninth is one day before February the tenth so therefore the day before new-years and since I made the doughnuts the ninth no tradition was broken. And that’s just how we roll round these parts!

I had great fun making these Dutch doughnuts. They truly are a force to be reasoned with. For all of you die-hards out there, in need of something new and exotic the olibole is absolutely perfect! It is for these reasons I have decided to let loose the confidential recipe for the one, the only… olibole! Just don’t tell ANYONE! Because they would have my head if they were to know I let out the recipe, so… shhhhh.

 

Olibole:

• 6 cups flour
• 1/2 pound currents (remember to check for stems)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbls yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 tbls sugar
• confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)

Dissolve sugar in warm water, add yeast and let sit 10 minutes. In a bowl whisk eggs and milk to blend. In a large bowl whisk flour and salt. Add the milk mixture and yeast mixture to the flour and stir until a dough forms. Fully incorporate the currents. Place a damp cloth over top the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Once  the dough is done rising have your oil ready (between 350 and 400 Fahrenheit and between 3 and 5 inches deep). Dip two table spoons into the oil then use them to scoop shape the dough from the bowl into balls about 2 tablespoons big, transfer the balls to the hot oil (probably no more than six at a time for an average size pot) and cook until the outside is golden brown (1 1/2 – 2 min). transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet or some paper towels to drain (be sure to test one so you know they’re done, if not adjust cooking time and temperature). Finally, dust you  oily balls with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!