Scaled-Down Desserts Edition

These are some of my favorite, easy single- and double-serving desserts.  If you don't have ramekins or custard cups (which you can buy cheap at Schnucks or Target) , you should be able to bake these recipes (especially the molten cake recipes) in an oven-safe coffee mug.  If you try them in a mug, try to use one with a wider diameter or they might take a little longer to bake, as mugs don't tend to be as wide as ramekins or custard cups.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Molten Cake

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons white sugar

1 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar

⅛ teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of Salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon milk

4 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli chocolate chips, personally)

Instructions

1. Place butter in a small ramekin or custard cup.  Soften the butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
2. Using a fork, cream together the now-softened butter with the white sugar and the brown sugar.
3. Add the vanilla, salt, and baking powder to the butter-sugar mixture, and stir to combine.
4. Add the flour, and pour in the milk.  Using a spoon, stir to combine.  Make sure that the cookie dough is thoroughly mixed by scraping the bottom and sides with the spoon.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips and smooth the top of the cookie dough out.
6. Bake the ramekin or custard cup at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top and sides are a golden brown.  The middle will not look set (i.e. it will still look jiggly), but the top and sides will look done (advantage to using a clear glass ramekin is that you will be able to see the sides).
7. Serve warm.... perhaps with a scoop of ice cream on top!

 

Chocolate Molten Cakes

Ingredients

2 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate [You can buy a Ghirardelli baking bar, and just use half.  For a more chocolaty cake, choose the bittersweet chocolate]

½ stick (¼ cup) butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons flour

Ice cream, cool whip, or whipped cream for serving

Instructions

1. In a small, heavy saucepan (preferably in a double boiler), melt the chocolate squares and butter on low heat, stirring constantly.
2. When the chocolate and the butter have melted together completely, remove from heat.  You can now transfer the mixture to another bowl, or if you are careful (and you are like me and do not want to dirty more dishes than necessary), you can mix everything together in the saucepan.
3. Add the powdered sugar, and stir until combined.
4. Add the egg and egg yolk, and stir until combined.
5. Add the flour, and stir until combined.
6. Divide the batter into two buttered custard cups.  You can refrigerate the second cup for the next day if you only want to make one--just cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.
7. To bake, preheat oven to 375.  Place custard cup(s) on a baking sheet, and bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until the top is just barely cooked.
8. To serve, let the cake cool for a minute before running a knife or small spatula around the edges.  Once the edges are loosened, gently turn onto a plate and serve with ice cream, cool whip, or whipped cream.  If you, however, would like to minimize the cake to plate potential cake loss (again, like me), simply put the custard cup with the cake in it onto a small plate and top with the ice cream/cool whip/whipped cream.

Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cakes

Ingredients

for the pumpkin cakes

¼ cup butter, at room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

⅓ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

⅛ cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

for the maple glaze

1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup (or you can just use Hungry Jack or Aunt Jemima--which is actually not real maple syrup)

1 tablespoon water

¾ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well-combined
3. Mix in the pumpkin puree.
4. Add the rest of the dry ingredients, and stir together until just combined.
5. Spoon mixture into two greased custard cups, and bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes at 350.
6. While they are baking, prepare the maple glaze by mixing together the maple syrup, water, and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
7. When the cakes are ready to come out of the over, allow them to cool for a few minutes, and then spoon the glaze over the top.  Serve.

Other easy small-batch dessert recipes

Microwave Peanut Butter Brownie

Coffee Cake in a Mug

Banana Mug Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

S'mores Cups

Microwave Peanut Butter Mug Cake