Man, I wish starting a blog didn’t seem so pathetic when you only have your first few measly entries. I wish that I could instantly have 100 posts and tons of people checking me out! I’m gonna bake some cake for valentine’s day this weekend, and maybe post something about dinner tonight.
Hopefully any of you who stumble upon my blog now will be sure to come back when it gets goin more…and please don’t be shy about commenting now! Thanks :)
Neither Nate or I like partying. For those of you who haven’t read the About Me page, Nate is my boyfriend. I was so glad when I started dating him because for once I didn’t have to force myself to go to bars just because the guy I was dating wanted to go out. It’s so much easier with Nate because we both like low-key nights at home…cooking dinner and popping in a dvd.
An artistic shot by Nate
What’s also nice is that Nate is very close with his mother who lives in PA (near DE) and whom we visit whenever we have a long weekend. Nate and I are both big on “home.” It’s a concept that makes us both so happy. I can’t put my finger on why, but it’s just so comforting. I’m definitely the kind of person who, while I love my life, often wish I could go back to the carefree days of childhood when my biggest worry was a test I had to study for.
I love baking in a big kitchen!
Now I realize his mom’s home isn’t MY home, per se, but it’s a home, with a mom who cooks for us, where we can laze around and do nothing. It’s an escape from the city and the work week.
Sunrise in the country
When we visit, I like to contribute by cooking dinner or baking dessert. So when we headed down there for New Years, I called up my own mother to get a good recipe to make for dessert on New Years Eve. Nate’s mom was already taking care of dinner by her tradition of cheese fondue on New Years Eve. To be healthy, I requested some peppers and apples to dip in the cheese, along with the bread.
Healthy eats for dippin
My mom told me that I absolutely had to make this recipe she found on Bon Appetit that she LOVES, for Winter-Spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream…and let me tell you, it was out of this world!
Mmmmm mmmm
I do happen to like plain molten chocolate cakes, and might even prefer them to this recipe because the chocolate flavor takes center stage, but if you want to make a different version of the recipe, this is definitely the one you should go to. They were a hit!
Happy New Year!
Ice cream
Cakes
For ice cream:
Place softened ice cream in medium bowl. Using plastic spatula, fold ginger and rum into ice cream. Transfer to airtight container. Freeze ice cream mixture until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.)
For cakes:
Generously butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes. Stir chocolate, butter, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and white pepper in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 3 cups powdered sugar, then chocolate mixture, then flour. Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to top and dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake cakes until batter has risen above dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Allow cakes to rest in dishes 5 minutes. Using hot pad and holding dish very firmly, place plate gently atop 1 cake and invert onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Dust with powdered sugar. Top with crystallized ginger. Serve cakes with rum-ginger ice cream.
