Molten Lava Chocolate Souffle Cakes (with guest chefs Sophie and Claire!)

We had some house guests staying with us last week, and all we did was cook and eat and cook and eat.  Not a bad deal.  The girls and I wanted to make dessert, and Sophie said "I'm thinking of something chocolate with, like, pudding in the middle."  Her wish is my command.

I've made this recipe before, and it is very easy, very delicious, and probably very deadly.  But you should expect no less from me.  The recipe is from The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett.  Here goes:

12 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, broken up or coarsely chopped
2 sticks butter, cut into chunks
5 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt (can be omitted if using salted butter)
2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (of course we used my favorite Black Onyx)

Grease six 3/4 c. ramekins or souffle dishes.  In a double boiler (or a pot in another pot that has water in the bottom), warm the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently, until partially melted.  Remove from heat and set aside, stirring until completely melted and slightly cooled).

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until blended.  Add the granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until incorporated.  Whisk in the chocolate mixture.  Add flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder and whisk until incorporated.  Divide the batter equally among prepared dishes.

This is a good point at which to cover the cakes and put them in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.  They will keep up to 48 hours.

When you're ready to bake, position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400 degrees.  Place the dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes (may take longer if the cakes are cold).  The cakes should look a little undercooked in the middle.  Run a knife around the edges of the cakes to loosen them and allow them to cool about 6 minutes.

To serve, position a dessert plate over the top of a ramekin and (using oven mitts because they will be hot) quickly flip the ramekin over.  I had to shake mine a bit.  Top them with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!