Fujisan: Molten Chocolate Cake

I really love a good molten chocolate cake (or molten chocolate lava cake or fondant au chocolat for fancy people ). I know, to some people, it’s an overdone, passé, and almost retro dessert, but I LOVE it. It is, quite simply, warm chocolaty goodness defined, and, when done right, it is simply wonderful. So, it’s no surprise that I can’t get enough of this awesome molten chocolate cake created for the Salon du Chocolate by designer Stéphane Bureaux and his design group. It is practical and artistic and fun, all at once! Simply place a chocolate candle inside the cake, then watch as  it slowly burns, filling the interior of the cake with warm liquid chocolate. Voilà! Molten Chocolate Cake! To see more yummy creations by Stéphane’s Bureaux, check out his website, right here. For more on the molten chocolate cake, click here.

Sweet Testing: Dark Chocolate Tart with Gingersnap Crust

I make a lot of desserts that are incredibly time consuming. It is, most of the time, worth the extra time and effort, but, there are times, when I don’t really want to spend five hours in the kitchen. That is where this tart comes in. It is not only incredibly delicious, but also fast and easy to make. Delicious and easy. You can’t really beat that! It’s only downfall is that it may be too rich for some people. Personally, I don’t know the meaning of the words “too rich,” but, you know, some people just can’t handle it. I call those people “wimps.” As far as the recipe itself is concerned, I think the addition of the candied ginger on the top is a must. If you eat a little bit of the candied ginger with each bite, it’ll bring a whole new level of flavor to the cake. If you hate candied ginger, have no fear, the tart will still be super good. I also increased the pepper from ¼ to an 1/8 and added a bit of cinnamon to the base, which I think helps to balance out the chocolaty goodness. You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Soda Pop Jelly

A friend of mine was recently telling me about a local farming family that makes and sells Mountain Dew Jelly at Eastern Market in Detroit. I’m not a Mountain Dew drinker, in fact, I’m not a big pop drinker (or “soda” for those of you not from the Midwest), but I was still intrigued by the idea of a jelly made out of Mountain Dew. What about jellies made out of other soft drinks? A root beer jelly? A Vernors jelly? Now those are jellies that I could get behind! So, I did a little research and, lo and behold, I discovered an Etsy seller (Angela Wilson) who produces a wide-range of pop-infused jellies! Among the flavors are root beer (yay!) and Coca-Cola, as well as Orange, Strawberry, and Pineapple Crush. To buy Angela’s  Soda Pop Jellies, click here. If you’re the adventurous type, and would like to try making some Mountain Dew Jelly in your own kitchen, you can find a recipe right here. {Thanks, Tom!}

Note: For those of you outside of the U.S., in the States the words "jelly" and "jam" are used interchangeably. In this case "jelly" does not refer to a solid wobbly thing, but to a spread, usually made with fruit.