Will you be my Valentine?
and molten brownie pots!
Are you Valentine’s Day out, in, or not at all? We fall firmly in the “cook a nice dinner at home” category.
I’ve never been one for fighting dinner crowds at restaurants, and I don’t really need the fancy (i.e., pricey) prix fixe menu or the horse drawn carriage ride around the town square to feel loved, but maybe I’m just not that romantic. Last weekend my husband changed the air filter, topped off all the fluids, and put gas in my car. That, my friends, is love.
And really, since having our son, doing a nice family dinner at home, making sure he is included, and doing small things to make it feel special really is so much more fun. Decorate the table, light some candles, use the china that just sits in the cabinet, serve an appetizer, splurge on something at the grocery store you might not normally get - all great ideas!
And if you need a special dessert, I’ve got you covered! This week’s recipe (below) is for Molten Brownie Pots. Similar to a lava cake type situation, but made with a rich, soft brownie batter. If you’re the person that can’t wait to cut a hot brownie out of the pan, this recipe is for you!
I modified my favorite brownie recipe, scaling it down to make individual servings and stirring in an extra egg yolk for added creaminess. As they cool, they slightly sink down in the middle, creating the perfect place for you to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I think they’re best when served warm, so that the ice cream starts to melt and create a little sauce. If you have leftovers for another day, a 20 second zap in the microwave seems to do the trick.
I can’t wait for you to try this special dessert! We’ve had a bunch of these little ramekins of deliciousness lately through the various taste tests, and we’re not sick of them yet!
So happy Valentine’s Day/Week! I love all of you, see you back here next week!
(And while love is in the air, if you like me too, click that little heart at the top or bottom of this post. Supposedly it helps the algorithm and boosts the newsletter’s visibility. Oof, I feel I’m back in middle school and just handed a boy the note…)
MONDAY - Skillet Chicken Breast, Parmesan Rice, Salad
I’ll de-bone a couple of split chicken breasts and then sear them skin side down in a skillet before flipping them over to finish cooking (a technique I learned from America’s Test Kitchen). We love a crispy skin around here! Creamy rice and an easy salad for the sides.
TUESDAY - Up in the air, and that’s okay
We have a volunteer project for church this evening, and my Tuesday night yoga class that I teach has just been moved from 7pm to 6pm, which I think I’ll like better (not a night owl!), but I’m having to think about how to make sure everyone gets fed. This week, we might have to pick something up or eat leftovers. In the future, I’ll probably try to meal prep Tuesday nights so someone else can pop things in the oven.
WEDNESDAY - Sun-dried Tomato and Mushroom Pasta
Bowtie pasta with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce and mushrooms. If we have extra chicken from Monday, I’ll chop it up and toss it in. (Anyone remember Pasta Milano from Macaroni Grill? It was my go-to order as a kid, and this is me trying to recreate it!)
THURSDAY - BBQ Ribs, Baked Potato Casserole, Broccoli
Ribs are so easy in the oven - low and slow for a bit, then slather on the sauce and crank the heat up! Baked potatoes in casserole form let me get that done ahead of time and just need a reheat.
FRIDAY - Valentine’s Day
Making a special dinner at home rather than fighting the restaurant crowd. Planning on a big steak in the cast iron pan with risotto and roasted asparagus on the side.
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)
Chicken Spaghetti! This is actually a super old Weight Watchers recipe that my mother in law has been making for years. I can’t even find a link to the actual recipe, but this one is close. A bright tomato sauce with a splash of vinegar and grilled chicken over spaghetti. We add a whole bunch of capers. Because capers.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s
There’s a new Mediterranean cookbook that dad got for both of us (The Mediterranean Dish - Simply Dinners, by Suzy Karadsheh) that has a pizza made with lots of veggies and a crispy phyllo dough crust that we’ve been wanting to try. I’m voting for this. Dad?
LUNCHES for this week -
I have lots of good things for salads this week, but starting Tuesday, the weather looks rainy and gross, and I also have everything for a split pea soup (which believe it or not, I’ve never made!). So, I might do that instead.
EXTRAS for this week
Daffodil shoots are popping up, which means spring must be right around the corner, right? Ha! Anyway, I’m thinking ahead and testing some springy salad ideas this week.
Molten Brownie Pots
Makes 4-5, see note
· ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter
· 4 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate (bar or chips, see note)
· 1 ounce Unsweet or Bittersweet Chocolate (bar or chips, see note)
· ½ teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder
· 1 large Egg plus one Egg Yolk
· ½ cup White Sugar
· 1 teaspoon Vanilla
· ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
· ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
· ¼ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
Preheat the oven to 350 with a rack arranged in the top third. Coat 4-5 ramekins (6-8 ounces in size) with non-stick spray. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, heat the butter, both chocolates, and espresso powder in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. (Usually about a minute and 15 seconds for me.) Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk vigorously until thick and paler in color. Add the sugar and continue whisking vigorously for another minute. Stir in vanilla.
While whisking, slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture and combine well.
Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk until mostly combined. Then switch to a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and finish stirring.
Divide batter among the prepared ramekins and bake for 20-22 minutes, until puffed and shiny on the tops. Remove from oven and cool about 10 minutes before serving. They will sink a little as they cool. Definitely recommend a scoop of vanilla ice cream in that little crater!
NOTES – When testing this recipe, I did 5 ramekins, and my taste testers said it was a good serving size – enough, but not too much. If you want to take it into the “generous” serving size category, divide the batter among 4 ramekins. (20 minutes bake time for 5 ramekins, 22 minutes for 4 ramekins.)
If you have a food scale at home, you can weigh out the chocolate in chocolate chips. If you don’t have a scale, then I recommend using chocolate bars that break into 1-ounce portions to measure it out.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!
This sounds and look perfectly yummy! I'm waiting to be included in the testing process!!! :-)