Molten Lava Cakes

It SNOWED!!! I was so excited this morning that there were actually a few inches outside so I could take the boys out to play. I made sure to hurry up and do it this morning since who knows how long it'll stick around - I did not want it melting before we got out there.

As I was putting on all their gear, I started to wonder if it would even be worth it - once Aiden was decked out, he couldn't even sit. He looked a little bit like a turtle because he kept falling onto his back and then tried to roll onto his side so he could crawl, but then his snowpants were too slippery so he didn't get anywhere . . . and he was maaaad. Very mad. So I was rushing to get Asher dressed, and was pretty frustrated before we even got out the door.

SO WORTH IT!!! We had so much fun! Asher's not into snowmen yet, but loves to walk around, be pulled in the sled, and I even got them to both go down the little hill in our front yard. Aiden didn't care if snow was all over him; he crawled in it, laid in it, even put his face in it and came up smiling. Totally glad I took them out.

If you got snow and are feeling a little bit chilly, these lava cakes will warm you right up! If you're not cold, and it didn't snow, you should make them anyway. Oh. So. Yummy. I made them on Valentine's Day, and they are so chocolate-y and really decadent. They fill you up fast, but if you're like me you'll keep taking bite after bite despite how full you feel. The chocolate literally flows out of the middle when you poke it - it's like a warm chocolate brownie that comes with it's own hot fudge sauce. At the last minute (after photos) I scooped a little vanilla ice cream to go alongside . . .

Molten Lava Cakes (original recipe can be found here)
1/2 c. butter (plus some for buttering dishes)
2 tsp. sugar
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
3 eggs, plus 3 egg yolks
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 4 6-ounce ramekins and sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp. sugar.
2. Place butter, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a saucepan and melt over med-low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Whisk together flour, powdered sugar, eggs, yolks, and vanilla until creamy. Whisk in melted chocolate mixture and divide evenly among the ramekins.
4. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake 12-14 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn onto a plate. Eat while still warm so the chocolate in the center is still molten. You can also eat right from the ramekin, but be careful because of course they'll be hot!

Here's some more pics of our fun in the snow today!