Molleux aut Chocolat

**I wish I had more pictures but we made this before the birth of Rue en Rose.
Future recipes will have more pictures!

It's the French answer to Death by Chocolate.
What I particularly love about this molten cake is that while it is very rich, it is not overly sweet. I particularly like desserts with just enough hint of sweetness that you want a little more.

The recipe I got from the new book I am reading, Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. The book is as scrumptious a read as the recipes that are stirred into it. A true story of an American girl who falls in love and moves to Paris, it is a delightful summer book for the food or Paris enthusiast. A good friend and fellow foodie recommended it to me in preparation for my upcoming trip, and it has been a source of much consolation, education, and stomach-grumbling.

As soon as I read about the Molleux aut Chocolat, I had to make it. I'm not a crazed chocolate lover (I usually prefer fruit), but Bard's description made my mouth water, and it was on the menu for the weekend.

Now this recipe says it is perfect for two people, but we ended up with four cupcake-sized cakes and two small ramekins. We barely made it through the ramekins, so prepare accordingly. I do suggest you bake this with a friend so you can swoon in chocoholic heaven together, and keep each other from eating all the batter before you are done.

Ingredients:
8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick)
5 oz dark chocolate (the author says this is where the difference is made, so don't skimp on the quality. We used Baker's semi-sweet chocolate squares.)
1 good pinch of coarse sea salt (my friend had these adorable measuring spoons. Never wonder what a dash means again!)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
butter for baking vessels

Pre-heat oven at 450°F.
Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stirring in the sea salt at the end. (Now since I am a very beginner cook, my friend Kristina helped me understand a double boiler is not, as I thought, a separate appliance requiring valuable cupboard space but instead a boiling pot of water with a metal mixing bowl over it. Please excuse my ignorance...)
Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together. There should be some light foam on the surface when it's ready.
Add this mixture to your melted chocolate-butter delight, whisk lightly, add flour, and whisk again. Is your batter thick and deliciously goopey? You are on the right track!
Now for the molds. We used both ramekins and foil cupcake liners, and found the ramekins create just the right texture on both the inside and outside of the cake. Plus it just feels fancier. (Find cute vintage ones here!) If you don't have those, just press 5-6 foil cupcake liners on top of each other to make a standalone mold. Pour the batter out evenly.
Bake for 7-8 minutes. The goal is a thin, moist crust and a magnificently molten middle (gustatory and alliterative bliss!).
Take the cakes out (ramekins will be very hot!) and prepare to die happy.