Chocolate Lava Cakes with Cherry Amaretto Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

What could possibly be better than a fabulous dessert that’s baked straight from the freezer? Lava Cakes are a perfect dinner party dessert, made even more perfect because they can be made 1 day ahead. Whether you choose to freeze them (for up to 2 months, well wrapped) or just chill them until ready to bake, they’ll be ready when you are. (Add 3 -4 minutes to the bake time for frozen cakes.)

Make the Cherry Amaretto Sauce up to several days in advance and serve it warm or cold. Any leftover sauce? It’s sublime served over vanilla ice cream. Try it mixed with plain Greek yogurt topped with toasted almonds for breakfast! It’ll be a good morning, I promise!

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups with cooking spray. In a large microwave safe bowl heat chocolate and butter at 50% power until butter is melted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks to blend. Whisk in vanilla and amaretto. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in chocolate mixture, flour and salt. Pour batter into dishes, dividing equally. Chill until ready to bake.

Bake cakes until sides are set but centers remains soft and runny, about 14 minutes (and 3-4 minutes for cakes that were frozen). Let stand 2-3 minutes. Run small knife around cakes to loosen; turn cakes out onto plates. Spoon Cherry Almond Sauce around cakes. Garnish with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar.

Cherry Amaretto Sauce
Combine Amaretto and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add cherries and any juices. Remove a spoonful of the liquid; mix with cornstarch to create a slurry. Add slurry to pan. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Serve warm or cold.

Yield:	Serves 6

What's Needed:

Cooking spray
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons amaretto
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Cherry Amaretto Sauce
16-ounce bag frozen dark sweet pitted cherries, thawed, any juices reserved
¼ cup Amaretto
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

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Recipe brought
to you by Amy Tobin

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