Chocolate Decadence

Went down to visit with my sister and brother-in-law in Hoboken this morning. Grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Malibu Diner. Nothing fancy, but a nice clean place to grab cheap eats. Most of the breakfast items were under $6 — quite a bargain considering the proximity to NYC.

After breakfast, we headed to Mitsuwa, an Asian marketplace on River Road in Edgewater. Besides being able to pick up Asian spices, condiments and other items for cheap, it’s a bustling place offering a full-range of “fast food,” a travel agency, jewelery and more, in addition to the grocery section. Quite the epi-center of activity, particularly on Saturday, there were definite bargains to be had. Bok choy for $0.59/lb, fresh basil for a buck and samples around every corner. I came home with hot mustard powder, frozen chicken dumplings, bok choy, natural sea salt, sweet and sour sauce, tamari sauce, toasted sesame seeds and more.

Now onto dinner tonight. Another grilling feast of chicken and steak, accompanied by artichokes (gotta love the price – 10 for $10!). Dinner was capped off by Chocolate Decadence. Definitely a WOW dessert, it will be a repeater in our household. Only one note on the recipe – it says to invert the dessert onto plates. Well, my desserts weren’t too invertable. Too fudgy for that, I just served them in their original ramekins with a spoon.

Chocolate Decadence
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
8 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside.

Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.

Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings

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