Home Cooking: The Lava Cake Challenge

How do you feel about cooking? Do you absolutely love it, do you have a kitchen only because it came with the house - or are you somewhere in between these two extremes? Personally, I really enjoy preparing food - but it can be hard to come up with tasty dishes that the whole family will love. With so many people having fun with home cooking, I thought it would be good to have a taste-test challenge, featuring Chocolate Lava Cake. ​

This elegant dessert is surprisingly easy to make - and I'm challenging you to make both of the recipes below. One of my favorite restaurants was the wonderful Va Pensiero, in Evanston, Illinois, and one of their most loved desserts was Chocolate Budino. Served steaming with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar, it was a little chocolate cake with a silky liquid filling - and absolutely delicious!
Guests on Carnival Cruises are wild about their Melting Chocolate Cake, which is so popular it will be prepared for guests, even if it's not listed on the menu.

I hope you will try both - and decide which version you like better. I can't wait to hear what you think, and to see the results on Instagram (please post photos of your results and tag @tasteful_voyages)

Keep calm and make it from scratch,
Joan

P.S. - are you looking for yeast? Janie's Mill, located in Ashkum, Illinois, is shipping dry yeast in 1-pound packages, enough to bake nearly 100 loaves of bread. Here's a link to order directly from Janie's: https://www.janiesmill.com/wheat-products/yeast

VA PENSIERO CHOCOLATE BUDINO CAKE
5 ½ oz imported bittersweet chocolate (Belgian chocolate is best)
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Powdered sugar and raspberries for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1.           Butter and flour six 6-ounce custard cups. (At the restaurant they used disposable foil custard cups.) Melt chocolate and butter together in a bowl set over hot water. Cool to room temperature.
2.           In a mixer, beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Add flour and mix well. Add chocolate and butter mixture and beat 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth. Divide among custard cups.
3.           Bake for 14 minutes. Cake will be set around edges but very soft and “wiggly” in center. Cool slightly. Run knife around edges and unmold on to plates. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with raspberries.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Famous Warm Melting Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS:

• 6oz Dark Chocolate
• 6oz Butter
• 4 Eggs
• 3oz Sugar
• 2oz Flour

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Melt the chocolate and butter
2. Mix eggs and sugar and whisk for a few minutes, then add flour
3. Add the egg mix to the melted chocolate slowly and mix
4. Pour the mix in a greased mold
5. Bake directly in the oven at 390°F for 14 minutes

From Joan's Kitchen
I've recently started giving cooking demonstrations via Facebook Live. On Cinco de Mayo I made Chilaquiles, and last Monday I made Grandma's Meatballs. This coming Monday I will make Tiramisu from a recipe learned in an Italian cooking program. I will go live May 18th on my personal facebook page (Joan McGee Qualls) at 5 PM Eastern, 2 PM Pacific. I hope you'll tune in. If you missed last week's demo, I've attached the recipe and video below. Buon Appetito!

Recipe: Grandma's Meatballs

Video: Grandma's Meatballs If Grandma Was Roman

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