I have writer friend, Lee Wardlaw, who signs off her emails with "Behind every successful woman is a cat and a fridge full of chocolate." Last January I attended a plotting workshop given by Robin LeFevers where she rewarded (okay, bribed) attendees with chocolate (she even thought to bring dark and light). My co-author, Ruth Musgrave, won't even have coffee unless it's a mocha. And it seems that every year I’ve attended the SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, those folks at the Century Plaza Hotel send all thousand of us attendees into chocolate oblivion with a decadent chocolate work of art at the Golden Kite Awards luncheon.
So...the secret’s out. Writers love chocolate (okay, not a news flash if you're a writer). They cherish it. They worship it. They can’t live without it. Ask the average writer what she would choose to be stranded on a desert island with—a pound of Scharffenberger’s dark chocolate or her spouse—and I guarantee every one of them will hesitate before answering.
In honor of my chocoholic colleagues, I’m sharing a recipe that I saw demonstrated by Chef Paula Deen, on the Food TV Network. It’s delicious, sinful and ohhh-sooo-good. It's sure to inspire many late night writing sessions and bursts of creativity!
* Molten Lava Cake
6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
So...the secret’s out. Writers love chocolate (okay, not a news flash if you're a writer). They cherish it. They worship it. They can’t live without it. Ask the average writer what she would choose to be stranded on a desert island with—a pound of Scharffenberger’s dark chocolate or her spouse—and I guarantee every one of them will hesitate before answering.
In honor of my chocoholic colleagues, I’m sharing a recipe that I saw demonstrated by Chef Paula Deen, on the Food TV Network. It’s delicious, sinful and ohhh-sooo-good. It's sure to inspire many late night writing sessions and bursts of creativity!
* Molten Lava Cake
6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.
To create the ultimate sweet sensation, I serve it with a small scoop of Breyer’s ice cream on top.
Bon appetite!
* For those who are sensitive to chocolate (like me), proceed with caution :-)
P.S. For a chocolate poem, skip on over to GottaBook and scroll down to Greg's April 29 post.
