Molten Chocolate Cakes & Chocolate Filigree Hearts

What better Valentine's Day dessert than this warm gooey chocolate cake? Make it even more romantic with these adorable chocolate filigree hearts! I recommend serving it with something yummy like praline sauce or sugared raspberries, you can also put a caramel candy in the center before baking. These babies even taste great cold the next day (if you're lucky enough to have any leftover!)

Molten Chocolate Cakes
Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or bars, cut into bite-size chunks
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar (granulated or powdered)

1/3 cup flour

Praline Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions

1.Melt butter and chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid burning. Beat eggs and sugar until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth. Beat in flour until just combined. (Batter can be made a day ahead)

2.Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 6-8 cups individual ramekins, dust with granulated sugar (or cocoa powder). Divide batter among muffin cups.

3.Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cakes to cool 10 minutes. To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, and serve with fresh whipped cream and/or fresh fruit, or praline sauce!

Praline Sauce
In small saucepan, combine butter, pecans, sugar and whipping cream. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook about 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened. *Makes enough sauce for two batches of cakes or serve over ice cream.

Chocolate Filigree Hearts

1. Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Allow to cool slightly. 

2. Scoop melted chocolate into ziploc baggie and snip the corner (or use pastry bag)

3. Pipe hearts onto parchment paper (or tin foil sprayed with oil) connecting loops together so it will not break when removed from paper
4. Freeze until firm, remove from paper and adorn your favorite dessert!

*Chocolate Heart Filigree from Martha Stewart Living