MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES✔ 1⁄2 cup (55 gr.) butter or margarine, softened ✔ 2⁄3 cup sugar ✔ 6 eggs ✔ 2⁄3 cup flour ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. salt ✔ 450 gr. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, meltedSpray or butter a 12-cup muffin pan, then sprinkle with sugar and set aside.Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.Add in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Mix in the flour and salt until just combined.Beat in the melted chocolate until just combined. Divide the batter among the 12 cups. Bake at 200ºC for 12 to 14 minutes.When you take them out, the outsides should be cooked and pulling away from the sides, and the insides should be shiny and slightly jiggly. If serving immediately, let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan and serving.SNICKERDOODLE PIEFor crust✔ 1 unbaked pie shell (buy frozen or follow instructions in apple pie recipe below) ✔ 2 tsp. butter or margarine, melted ✔ 1 Tbsp. sugar ✔ 2 Tbsp. cinnamonFor topping ✔ 1⁄2 cup brown sugar ✔ 1⁄4 cup (30 gr.) butter or margarine, softened ✔ 3 Tbsp. water ✔ 2 Tbsp. corn syrup ✔ 1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon ✔ 1 tsp. vanillaFor filling ✔ 1⁄4 cup (30 gr.) butter or margarine, softened ✔ 1⁄2 cup sugar ✔ 1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar ✔ 1 tsp. baking powder ✔ 1⁄4 tsp. cream of tartar ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. salt ✔ 1 egg ✔ 1 tsp. vanilla ✔ 1⁄2 cup milk ✔ 11⁄4 cups flourBrush the inside of the pie crust with the melted butter.Combine the sugar and cinnamon and use to cover the entire inside of the crust. Set aside.Combine the brown sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.Cream together the butter, sugar and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Beat in egg and vanilla, followed by the milk. Stir in the flour, mixing until just combined.Pour the batter mixture into the crust and carefully pour the syrup on top. Place in a 175ºC oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until browned. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm.DUTCH APPLE PIEYou can use just about any apples you like for this, but I like a mix of green and yellow ones, some sweeter, some tarter. Cooking the apples before using them means you don’t get any shrinking in the oven, and you end up with extra filling.Crust ✔ 21⁄2 cups flour ✔ 2 Tbsp. sugar ✔ 1 tsp. salt ✔ 225 gr. (1 cup) butter or margarine, cut into cubes and frozen ✔ 4 to 6 Tbsp. ice waterFilling ✔ 8 to 9 apples – about 1.5 kg.✔ 1⁄2 cup sugar ✔ 1⁄4 cup brown sugar ✔ 1 tsp. lemon juice✔ 1⁄2 tsp. cinnamonTopping ✔ 11⁄2 cups flour ✔ 1⁄3 cup light brown sugar ✔ 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar ✔ 1 Tbsp. cornmeal ✔ 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, meltedMix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the frozen butter and, using a food processor, a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles fine sand.Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture begins to clump together. Divide the dough in half, gather each piece together into a ball and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.Roll the pie dough out on a well-floured surface to a 30-cm. circle and fit into a 23-cm. pie plate. Trim the edges. Cover loosely with cling wrap and freeze for 20 minutes. (At this point, it can be used for either of the pie recipes above.)Core, peel and slice the apples.In a saucepan, stir the apples together with the sugars, lemon juice and cinnamon.Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until just tender. Remove from heat and let cool.Prick the pie crust with a fork in several places. Grease a piece of foil and fit it against the pie crust and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the empty crust at 190ºC for 25 minutes.Mix the flour and sugars for the topping together. Pour the melted butter on top and stir with a fork until completely combined. Remove the pie shell from the oven and fill with the apple mixture plus about 1⁄4 cup of the liquid from the pot.Sprinkle the streusel mixture on top.Bake at 190ºC for an additional 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.Amy Spiro is a food writer and reporter. She is currently a pastry student at the Jerusalem Culinary Institute and blogs at bakingandmistaking.com.
Wonderfully warming
Ideally, these desserts should be served straight out of the oven.
MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES✔ 1⁄2 cup (55 gr.) butter or margarine, softened ✔ 2⁄3 cup sugar ✔ 6 eggs ✔ 2⁄3 cup flour ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. salt ✔ 450 gr. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, meltedSpray or butter a 12-cup muffin pan, then sprinkle with sugar and set aside.Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.Add in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Mix in the flour and salt until just combined.Beat in the melted chocolate until just combined. Divide the batter among the 12 cups. Bake at 200ºC for 12 to 14 minutes.When you take them out, the outsides should be cooked and pulling away from the sides, and the insides should be shiny and slightly jiggly. If serving immediately, let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan and serving.SNICKERDOODLE PIEFor crust✔ 1 unbaked pie shell (buy frozen or follow instructions in apple pie recipe below) ✔ 2 tsp. butter or margarine, melted ✔ 1 Tbsp. sugar ✔ 2 Tbsp. cinnamonFor topping ✔ 1⁄2 cup brown sugar ✔ 1⁄4 cup (30 gr.) butter or margarine, softened ✔ 3 Tbsp. water ✔ 2 Tbsp. corn syrup ✔ 1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon ✔ 1 tsp. vanillaFor filling ✔ 1⁄4 cup (30 gr.) butter or margarine, softened ✔ 1⁄2 cup sugar ✔ 1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar ✔ 1 tsp. baking powder ✔ 1⁄4 tsp. cream of tartar ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. salt ✔ 1 egg ✔ 1 tsp. vanilla ✔ 1⁄2 cup milk ✔ 11⁄4 cups flourBrush the inside of the pie crust with the melted butter.Combine the sugar and cinnamon and use to cover the entire inside of the crust. Set aside.Combine the brown sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.Cream together the butter, sugar and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Beat in egg and vanilla, followed by the milk. Stir in the flour, mixing until just combined.Pour the batter mixture into the crust and carefully pour the syrup on top. Place in a 175ºC oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until browned. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm.DUTCH APPLE PIEYou can use just about any apples you like for this, but I like a mix of green and yellow ones, some sweeter, some tarter. Cooking the apples before using them means you don’t get any shrinking in the oven, and you end up with extra filling.Crust ✔ 21⁄2 cups flour ✔ 2 Tbsp. sugar ✔ 1 tsp. salt ✔ 225 gr. (1 cup) butter or margarine, cut into cubes and frozen ✔ 4 to 6 Tbsp. ice waterFilling ✔ 8 to 9 apples – about 1.5 kg.✔ 1⁄2 cup sugar ✔ 1⁄4 cup brown sugar ✔ 1 tsp. lemon juice✔ 1⁄2 tsp. cinnamonTopping ✔ 11⁄2 cups flour ✔ 1⁄3 cup light brown sugar ✔ 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar ✔ 1 Tbsp. cornmeal ✔ 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, meltedMix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the frozen butter and, using a food processor, a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles fine sand.Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture begins to clump together. Divide the dough in half, gather each piece together into a ball and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.Roll the pie dough out on a well-floured surface to a 30-cm. circle and fit into a 23-cm. pie plate. Trim the edges. Cover loosely with cling wrap and freeze for 20 minutes. (At this point, it can be used for either of the pie recipes above.)Core, peel and slice the apples.In a saucepan, stir the apples together with the sugars, lemon juice and cinnamon.Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until just tender. Remove from heat and let cool.Prick the pie crust with a fork in several places. Grease a piece of foil and fit it against the pie crust and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the empty crust at 190ºC for 25 minutes.Mix the flour and sugars for the topping together. Pour the melted butter on top and stir with a fork until completely combined. Remove the pie shell from the oven and fill with the apple mixture plus about 1⁄4 cup of the liquid from the pot.Sprinkle the streusel mixture on top.Bake at 190ºC for an additional 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.Amy Spiro is a food writer and reporter. She is currently a pastry student at the Jerusalem Culinary Institute and blogs at bakingandmistaking.com.