Happy First Week of February! It is officially the month of love, which I LOVE but also hate at the same time. I love the fact that people try and be kinder, show more romantic gestures and overall be nicer but I hate the fact that people need a special day to instigate these emotions and acts of kindness.
Travis and I went on our first date, (a blind one at that), at the beginning of January. Proudly carrying the status of single and independent lady for many years, obviously started to make me stress as Valentine's Day loomed closer.
"We have only been dating for a little over a MONTH!" "Wait, are we even dating?" "OMG...what if he is last guy I will ever date?" "What if he has some HUGE elaborate date planned?" "What if he doesn't have ANYTHING planned?"
Obviously my mind was spiraling out of control, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and tell him I didn't want to do ANYTHING for Valentine's Day because I didn't like the holiday. Little did I know that this completely hurt his feelings and I was selfishly not taking his into account. At the time, I had a stressful/emotionally draining job and Valentine's Day at work was no exception. Travis asked if I wanted to come over for lunch on my break so I agreed. When I showed up, I saw that he had made my lunch entirely into heart shapes...and then I felt like a total jerk.
Over the years he has slowly chipped away at my tough exterior and made me grow to like Valentine's Day. While I still do not enjoy cheesy jewelry commercials or seeing everything doused in terrible shades of red and pink, I now realize the importance of doing something with the one(s) you love on Valentine's Day, even if those things should be done on a regular basis. So I challenge you all, don't be like old Katie. Embrace the holiday, overtime you will be glad you did.
One of the ways I like to show my love is by baking and cooking for others. These boozy chocolate lava cakes are guaranteed to show the chocolate and beer lover in your life how much you love them. The batter can be made up prior to baking and stored in the refrigerator. When you are ready for dessert, just pop your pan into the oven, wait 12 minutes and then enjoy! I promise you won't be disappointed and either will your loved one(s). Keep reading below for the full recipe.
Boozy Chocolate Lava Cakes with Whipped Cream
Cake Ingredients:
1/2 C. Bittersweet Chocolate
1 Stick of Butter
2 Whole Eggs + 2 Egg Yolks
1 tsp. Stout Extract
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1/2 C. All Purpose Flour
2 TBSP. Stout Extract
Pinch of Salt
1 Bottle of Stout Beer
Whipped Cream Ingredients:
2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp. Stout Extract
1/4 C. Powdered Sugar
Directions:
To make the stout extract, take one bottle of your favorite stout beer and pour into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer until the beer has reduced to a thick consistency, stirring occassionaly. Pour into a small container and place in refrigerator to cool and thicken. For the cakes, preheat oven to 400F. Melt bittersweet chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl until just melted, stirring gently. Next mix in eggs and stout extract. Fold in powdered sugar, flour and salt and stir until just combined. Scoop batter into a greased muffin tin. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are browned and set but the center is still soft. Remove from oven and let set one minute. Gently remove from pan and flip upside down onto a plate. Serve immediately with whipped cream. For whipped cream, beat together cream, sugar and extract until soft peaks form.
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