Baby Chocolate Cakes

My kitchen is cramped, no, more than that it is ugly. Ugly to use, and ugly to look at. Hooray for the joys of renting, but I guess it is the luck of the draw (and the dollar) the lovely Miss P is also renting, but she has a beautiful kitchen, so when she asked for some cooking help I jumped at the chance.

It wasn’t cooking instruction in general that she asked for, no, Miss P. wanted to know how to make those delicious little cakes I had made for my birthday. Yes, I admit it, I made my own birthday cake. But not just any cake, these almost flourless, rich, crispy on the edges and melting in the middle little cakes with a depth of chocolate and a lingering hint of chilli.

As well as having a lovely kitchen, a great oven (fan forced! Back in the ugly kitchen the oven is from the dark ages, just and element on the the ground shoved into a badly sealed box), there were the wonderful little silicon moulds, oh how I would love some of these!

The preparation was relaxed, the conversation interesting, and the end product better than I have ever made on my own. Thank you Miss P!

Oh, and the recipe? It is by the wonderful and inspirational Clotilde at Chocolate and Zucchini.

Chocolate and Chili Bites
(From Chocolate and Zucchini)
200g good quality dark chocolate (I use Lindt 70%)
200g butter
200g sugar
5 eggs
1T flour
1t ground chilli powder (optional).

Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. When smooth remove from heat and stir in sugar. Cool slightly then add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. When smooth, stir in flour and chilli.
Pour into greased pans (we used large silicon muffin ‘tins’, as well as much smaller moulds – more Clotildes bite sized), and bake in 200°C oven until crispy and crackled on the top and just set in the center.

Enjoy!