All week long David Lebovitz -- professional cook, baker, and blogger -- will be sharing recipes from his new book, My Paris Kitchen. Follow along to win one of six copies we're giving away -- and find out why Paris really is always a good idea.
Today: Dessert, just the way we like it -- personalized, with a molten surprise inside.
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Because of the sticky dulce de leche in the bottom of these cakes, I use standard 4-ounce porcelain ramekins and serve them right in the ramekins. But you can use any kind of ovenproof custard cup for this recipe; the mixture will rise a bit in the oven, but not enough to overflow.
Do be sure to let the cakes cool for at least 5 minutes before serving, and let guests know the little molds are still hot. To cool things down, serve these with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream, or pass a pitcher of cold, heavy cream for guests to help themselves.
You can find dulce de leche at well-stocked supermarkets or stores that specialize in Mexican and South American products, or try making your own.
Individual Chocolate Cakes with Dulce de Leche and Fleur de Sel
Serves 6
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for the ramekins
6 generous tablespoons dulce de leche (see note)
1 scant teaspoon flaky sea salt, preferably fleur de sel
8 ounces (225 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons (90 grams) packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
We're giving away a little piece of Paris every day this week! To enter to win today's copy of My Paris Kitchen, tell us in the comments: What's your favorite chocolate indulgence? We'll pick six winners at random this Friday, May 2nd!
Photos excerpted from the book My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. © 2014 by David Lebovitz. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. All rights reserved.
Written by: David Lebovitz
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129 Comments
Katelinlee
May 7, 2014
I might be too late for the contest, but my favorite discovery lately is David's "Chocolate Idiot Cake."
Melissa
May 2, 2014
anything chocolate! chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, a bar of dark chocolate!
Jen
May 2, 2014
Fave indulgence is always the piece or two that somehow goes missing whenever I'm making a chocolate dessert...
Cristina S.
May 2, 2014
I am pretty into Madecasse's Citrus & Pink Pepper dark chocolate at the moment.
minibakersupreme
May 2, 2014
I love chocolate mousse, preferably Julia Child's recipe, with a little salt and vanilla added in for extra flavor!
deb O.
May 2, 2014
DARK CHOCOLATE of the best quality. I really love the bars that come with some sea salt mixed in. DIVINE
DT
May 2, 2014
David, please enlighten us about the great divide between French versus American food photography. As a Top Chef France enthusiast and recent subscriber to your feed, I now find the literal mutilation of these fondants au chocolat a bit jarring. Ghislaine Arabian would not be pleased. I hear her saying, “ C’est pas elegant, ça donne pas envie.”… I recently showed my French office mate at food blog of a North American friend. She was not impressed by the whole rustic look. She said, “non, c’est pas assez fin pour moi.” I am convinced that the American –French divide in food photography aesthetics is massive. Is it about accessibility? I admit my Pierre Hermé tome has yet to be cooked from.
Eliza L.
May 2, 2014
My new favorite chocolate indulgence is the recipe I got here for Chocolate Guinness cheesecake! Had it for my birthday this year; it was so good!
Nancy G.
May 2, 2014
I love the quick easy "fix" of rich Belgian chocolate from my favortie chocolatier. When there's time to create something, though, nothing beats warm gooey chocolate cake, much like these molten cakes.
Kristina F.
May 2, 2014
Monsieur Truffe's dark chocolate bar with caramel flecks. I'd fly all the way back to Australia to have another bar.
Jean B.
May 2, 2014
A cup, or perhaps a bit more, of great European hot chocolate has been a great comfort many times.
Catherine
May 1, 2014
I think my favorite chocolate indulgence is Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe for chocolate semifreddo. The small ramekin is almost too chocolaty!
Cait
May 1, 2014
This super retro death by chocolate desert my mother made for us on special occasions. It isn't so much the desert but the memory.
Monica
May 1, 2014
Chocolate indulgence for me would be the homemade mole that my mom makes. It is a savory use of chocolate that perfectly marries 30-some-odd ingredients into this lushes, earthy sauce to be scooped up by tortillas or blanketed over Mexican rice. Chocolate makes earthy the spice of chile, while there's a touch of sweetness from the platanos maduros and pineapple. In the mole that my mother makes, four different chiles vie for attention, and behave nicely after hours of simmering together. Aromatics such as cumin, cloves and white pepper dance around as you stir the wooden spoon and blend together all of the ingredients. This is a dish to be savored with family, an indulgence for celebrations.
Kendra A.
May 1, 2014
My dad used to make a triple layer chocolate cake, with whipped cream between the layers and and really thick fudge frosting. It was a birthday tradition in our house!
Susan M.
May 1, 2014
My chocolate fix is a flourless fallen chocolate cake with a marscapone cream and reduced raspberry wine topped with fresh raspberries.
Mulzee
May 1, 2014
My mother's walnut torte with the most decadent chocolate frosting. I could eat that for days.....mmmm
Hannah R.
May 1, 2014
Tartine's salted chocolate rye cookies are tied with David's amazing Chicolate sorbet.
DianaL
May 1, 2014
If it ever gets warm again I'll be getting a Dairy Queen French Silk Pie Blizzard!
IrishJenn
May 1, 2014
I am addicted to Trader Joe's Sea Salt & Turbinado Sugar Dark Chocolate Almonds.
Kathy T.
May 1, 2014
For chocolate, I'm a big fan of Alice Medrich's Bittersweet Decadence Cookies from "Bittersweet". Otherwise, a bar of 70% Theo Chocolate will do nicely.
Meghan
May 1, 2014
A chocolate souffle-especially the first one I ever made that turned out beautifully despite being cooked in a windowless studio-sized tiny stove! Not bad for guessing on the time!
deidre
May 1, 2014
My favorite treat takes three minutes to make and it is divine... in a microwave proof bowl- microwave maple syrup, a few hunks of butter and some sea salt... let it boil a few minutes until very thick. Eat. I dare you.
cristen
May 1, 2014
Ah- My favorite chocolate indulgence is a recipe much like this one that my dearest friend makes for us on New Years. But also, brownies!
elle
May 1, 2014
Ultra rich dark chocolate brownies or any concoction of chocolate and peanut butter :)
Kathryn C.
May 1, 2014
Ici's (in Berkeley) Chocolate ice cream on one of their hand-made cones (with the little bite of chocolate in the bottom of the cone).
Jessie
May 1, 2014
My favorite super indulgence is still slightly warm fresh ganache. Just a spoonful :-)
Lynna
May 1, 2014
Favorite chocolate indulgence? How can I even pick?! Chocolate candies, like Snickers or Milky Ways. And, if I have chocolate cake, definitely the cake.
SophieB
May 1, 2014
A scoop of mexican chocolate ice cream in a cone, on a hot day, shared with a friend who you are not afraid has the cooties.
deletedspace
May 1, 2014
I love a square of some single origin, very, very dark chocolate like Mast Brothers or Askinosie! Nothing like the taste of REAL, undiluted, bean-to-bar chocolate.
Agneta
May 1, 2014
David's Simple Chocolate Sauce is my favorite indulgence! It is divine. We always have some in the fridge. Sometimes just a teaspoon full will do
Agneta
May 1, 2014
David's Simple Chocolate Sauce! It is divine... I always have some in the fridge!
Sophia H.
May 1, 2014
I pretty much love anything chocolate, even savory items, I make a dark rye bread with cocoa and Mexican chocolate, espresso, molasses with a bunch of other grains added in.
Liza's K.
May 1, 2014
I make a wonderful flourless chocolate tart that I coat in homemade caramel sauce with fleur de sel the cover with chocolate ganache.
Amanda S.
May 1, 2014
Chocolate mousse made with a recipe I got at an "Art of Chocolate" workshop put on by Ghyslain Maurais. Wow!
Stephanie
May 1, 2014
Racine's cake from David Lebovitz's with raspberry whipped cream made by my daughters for Mother's Day last year
Michael V.
May 1, 2014
It's not very foodie of me to say, but those chocolate pomegranates that they sell in a bag. I try to buy 'em only once a year cause that bag is going down as soon as it's purchased.
red135
May 1, 2014
Too many to choose just one! But a square of really great very dark chocolate will brighten my day!
Jen I.
May 1, 2014
Definitely molten chocolate lava cake however with a little dollop of vanilla bean whip cream and strawberries to accompany it. DEE-LISH! (or the "I NEED IT NOW" version: brownie mix in a mug zapped in the microwave for a minute or so... which cool whip and strawberries!) :)
Florie
May 1, 2014
Dark chocolate cake loaf with salty butter, still melting inside, with "crème anglaise" and fresh rapsberries!
David L.
May 1, 2014
Ha! I like the picture from the book that you used - the goofs! (Which, not to worry...got eaten!)
Rob H.
May 1, 2014
Is this a rift on the Chocolate Idiot Cake recipe that I love so much? The picture makes it look like it's drier, but the ingredients are the same, right?
Rob H.
May 1, 2014
Is this a rift on the Chocolate Idiot Cake recipe that I love so much? The picture makes it look like it's drier, but the ingredients are the same, right?
Garnetgirl
May 1, 2014
Chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream frosting, vanilla ice cream. Perfection.
Rachael S.
May 1, 2014
I don't consider it an indulgence. It is necessary - a small bite of dark chocolate, hidden from my fiance so he doesn't eat it all!
sticksnscones
May 1, 2014
My favorite chocolate indulgence must have coconut along with dark chocolate. A good ol' chocolate macaroon will do!
cookinginvictoria
May 1, 2014
My ultimate indulgence: dark chocolate tart with chocolate shortbread crust.
ATG117
May 1, 2014
Nothing beats a good piece of chocolate, but second to that would be a decadent chocolate mousse.
pearlyriver
May 1, 2014
My chocolate indulgence, if we're talking about indulgence in its true sense is chocolate fondue.
Lgh
May 1, 2014
Chocolate orbit cake or "Idiot Cake" depending on which version of David's recipe you use.... Yummy.
WHB
May 1, 2014
The most recent indulgence (since we're just post-Passover) is chocolate-caramel matzah...what Deb Perelman calls "crack" for good reason!
Sj D.
May 1, 2014
Nothing comforts me more than a luxurious hot chocolate topped with condensed milk!
K_Squared
May 1, 2014
I'm a fan of chocolate-covered snacks - raisins, espresso beans, almonds to name a few. But I'm a much bigger fan of David Lebovitz!
tanager
May 1, 2014
I was going to say chocolate caramels with sea salt, but after reading this recipe, those may get displaced :)
AntoniaJames
May 1, 2014
Well, if we're limiting it to indulgences, I'd have to say dark-chocolate dipped ganache truffles. I made them for the first time last December; they involved a lot more work than I typically have time for during the holiday season, but they proved so worth it. I'm going to try "Alice's House Truffles," posted here on Food52, next time I make truffles. The hard coating of the dipped ones though makes them rather special . . . . . . ;o)
t
May 1, 2014
Do I have to pick one? I'll happily eat anything made with a good dark chocolate (although I'm just as happy to savor a bar of the good stuff).
See what other Food52 readers are saying.