Molten Lava Cakes

Wow! If you are a chocolate fan, you've got to try this one! This recipe is from The Neely's on foodnetwork.com. I LOVED the addition of the cayenne. It gave it a real pop. However, I feel that the portion sizes are way too huge, especially if you are having it to follow a large dinner. I think this recipe could easily be stretched to 12 portions. It's very rich, yet YUMMY!

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks butter, unsalted, plus more for ramekins

4 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch cayenne

pinch nutmeg

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I actually used dark chocolate, and it was fabulous)

1 cup allpurpose flour

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

6 large eggs

6 large egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (I actually prepared these ahead of time and refrigerated until I was ready to cook them. I would probably cook a few minutes longer if I refrigerate them again)

Butter 8 (8-ounce) ramekins and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon sugar. (I would do 12)

In a saucepan combine butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, and chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth; stir frequently. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract until creamy. Add melted chocolate to the batter and whisk together.

Pour into prepared ramekins.

Bake cakes until the top is stiff and cracked and the edges are dark, about 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a small paring knife then invert onto plates while warm.