When I was in high school, my friends and I loved Chili's. This was before Durham, NC was quite the foodie town it is today, and before our metabolisms started to slow down. So, eating there sometimes even weekly was perfectly acceptable and normal. We'd all head there and get a big entree each, and then we'd order molten lava cakes...one each of those as well.

I remember being a sophomore and having a group of older girls from our school walk by our table one time (because yes, everybody was at Chili's), and with a look of shock one said something like,"Wow, did you all really order one each?" Up to that point I guess we hadn't considered the fact that maybe some people would split this giant dessert. To us, seven girls meant seven molten lava cakes. It just made sense. Long story short, we didn't let that judgment faze us, and continued to order our individual molten lava cakes for years.

The best thing about molten lava cakes is that you have multiple different elements all coming together at once. The cake is warm, the lava center is hot, and the ice cream is cold. When you cut into the cake with your fork, the heat from the chocolate core starts slightly melting the ice cream and the "lava" and ice cream flow out in chocolatey glory. It's incredible. When consumed following a giant plate of Chicken Crispers it will also send you straight into a food coma, but it's worth it.

I try to eat at local restaurants rather than chains these days (fast food chains not included), but Chili's is one of the few restaurant chains that holds a soft spot in my heart. Since I'm no longer close to one, this homemade version of the molten lava cakes does the trick. I think it's probably even better than the real thing. I debated taking a shortcut and using some leftover hot fudge for the filling, but opted to make the homemade version. If you have time I highly suggest doing this. The recipe as a whole is a breeze, so one step that takes slightly longer is worth it.

For the cake I used Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Cake. I topped it with Smucker's Chocolate Pretzel Magic Shell, and used just plain store-bought ice cream. I didn't have caramel around for the sauce and didn't feel like making it, but I have no doubt that would take things to a whole new level.

Enjoy!

Copycat Chili's Molten Lava Cake

Recipe from Oh, Sweet Basil

Ingredients

• 1 Duncan Hines Fudge Cake Mix and ingredients
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Chocolate Shell Ice Cream Topping
• Caramel Sauce
• Hot Fudge, recipe follows
Hot Fudge
• 1 Cube Butter, Unsalted (1/2 cup)
• 1 Cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Pinch of Salt
• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the cake mix according to instructions and bake in a Texas size muffin tin according to package instructions. Turn out to cool. (Remember you will be eating these upside down so you'll want them level)*
 Hot Fudge
2. Melt all of the ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil and stir for two minutes.Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir for one minute. Allow the fudge sauce to cool.
3. Once the cupcakes and fudge are cool, use a serrated knife or another sharp knife to level the top of the cupcakes. Once level, turn the cupcakes over and at a slight angle carefully cut a well out of the bottom of each cake. Do not cut all the way through!
4. Fill the cake with the fudge sauce, wrap in saran wrap and freeze for 1 hr or up to a few days.
5. Once you are ready to serve, heat each cake in the microwave for 35-45 seconds or until warmed through. Drizzle caramel over the cake and the plate.
6. Quickly top with vanilla ice cream and pour the chocolate shell topping over the ice cream. Serve IMMEDIATELY. 

*Note: I believe a Texas size muffin tin is just an oversized muffin tin. The only jumbo pan I had made six muffins, which, when using all of the batter, resulted in me having to cut off a lot of cake to make it level. I think this amount of batter would probably make 8-10 cakes, filling each section no more than 3/4 full. When making these again (since that will be happening), I will probably bake up six, wait for those to cool, and then re-use my pan for the remaining batter instead of just pouring it all in the six pan at once!

It’s not hard to make an ice cream that tastes good. Honestly if you’re making a somewhat standard flavor it’s probably harder to make something that doesn’t taste good. After all, it’s cream, milk, vanilla and sugar. What sets ice creams apart, in my mind, is consistency. Recently a few of my favorite ice cream flavors haven't used eggs. They’ve stayed soft and easy to scoop without getting icy, and the flavor is creamy, smooth and delicious.

Another plus is that these recipes don’t require any heating of the milk and cream, incorporating the eggs, straining, ice baths, etc. Any time I can cut these things out I am all for it.

Since I was already throwing brownies into this base and I wanted the fudge taste as well (without having to buy fudge pieces), I just drizzled some hot fudge between layers of the ice cream. And while I was at it, I thought why not add in some salted caramel? Good decisions all around.

It helped that the good folks at Smuckers were nice enough to send me over some items from their Simple Delights line of ice cream toppings. I’ve been trying them out on everything I can, and I haven’t hit one I don’t like. I’ll be having a giveaway for readers in the next week to give you the chance to win some yourself! More details to come on that soon.

Back to this ice cream: perfect chocolate base + brownies + gooey fudge and salted caramel swirls. Be still my heart. I loved every bite, and so did everyone else who tried it. Once you find a good base you can change it up with mix-ins however you’d like. I've also crumbled up the chocolate pudding cookies and thrown them into this mixture instead of the brownies. You can't go wrong.

Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream with a Salted Caramel Swirl

Recipe adapted from Cravings of a Lunatic 

Ingredients

• 1 cup good quality cocoa powder
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• Pinch of vanilla salt (regular salt is fine to use)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups brownie pieces
• 1/4 cup hot fudge (I used Smuckers Hot Fudge)
• 1/4 cup caramel (I use Smucker's Salted Caramel)

 

Directions:

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer combine cocoa powder, both sugars, salt and whole milk. Mix until the sugars dissolve.
2. Add heavy cream and vanilla and mix until fluffy, should be the consistency of pudding. Cover and stick in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour. You can even leave it overnight, it helps the flavour to let it age a bit.
3. Remove from fridge and transfer the liquid to a FROZEN ice cream maker bowl. Place bowl on your ice cream machine and turn on. Churn according to manufacturer's instructions.
4. Once ice cream base is complete (about 20 minutes for my ice cream maker), fold in three cups of crumbled brownie pieces. 
5. Spread a layer of the chocolate and brownie base into the bottom of a freezer safe container (about ¼ of total batch). Use a spoon to swirl in ½ of the warm caramel. 
6. Add another layer of the base on top and drizzle/swirl in ½ of the hot fudge. Repeat with another layer of the base and remaining caramel followed by the rest of the ice cream and hot fudge. 
7. Place in freezer for 6 hours, or until ice cream has firmed. It will be best after 12+ hours of freezer time. 

I love it when someone else makes a dessert that I try and immediately know I need to make myself. It takes the guessing out of whether the final product is going to be good or bad, and if it's not great I can go ahead and save myself the time and money of making it. I have zero shame asking people for recipes, which I'll admit is sometimes awkward since people get very protective over these things. Thankfully my roommate and fellow peanut butter lover Brooke finds recipes in a lot of the same places I do, so getting this one wasn't an issue. Had I tried this fudge and not been able to get the recipe, I would've known forevermore that my peanut butter game was not up to par.

Brooke gave the majority of her batch of fudge away, and yet somehow we still were snacking on it for a week. I made another batch the same day that we finished the last piece of hers. So much for even pretending to eat healthy.

It'd be hard for this fudge to be any easier.  The only part about the recipe that's not ideal is getting to four cups of sifted powdered sugar...and really that's only because my patience with sifting usually goes out the window around two cups. The payoff is amazing, though. I think most people put considerably more effort into making fudge, and all of those other fudge recipes pale in comparison to this one. It's rich, creamy, delicious and the perfect consistency. We both used mini Reese's cups, which I highly recommend, but I plan on making this fudge often enough that I'll try other variations as well. Brooke and I have already decided on M&Ms for next time--maybe even peanut butter M&M's. I honestly might die of food bliss with that combination.

When cutting fudge, I like to use a hot knife so I can get a perfect line. Once the fudge is cold this is not a necessity, but I find it helps. Run a knife under hot water, quickly dry it off and start cutting. Once the knife cools down repeat this process. I suggest cutting small fudge squares, maybe an inch across. Keep the fudge in the refrigerator.


Side Note: If you count the optional ingredients it's six ingredient fudge instead of four ingredient fudge. Since you may or may not be adding the optional ingredients, I've labeled it 4 ingredient fudge anyways. It sounds better, don't you think?


4 Ingredient Fudge
Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter*
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 4 cups (460g) sifted confectioners' sugar*
• 3/4 cup add-ins, such as chocolate chips, peanuts, or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (optional)

Directions:

Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished fudge out.

Melt the peanut butter and butter together in a large bowl. I prefer to slice the butter to make melting easier. Stop the microwave and stir the mixture every minute until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the microwave and stir in the vanilla using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add the salt if you prefer a salty/sweet fudge. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar and stir until completely combined. The mixture is very, very thick and resembles cookie dough. If using any add-ins, fold them into the fudge while it is still warm.

Press the fudge into prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spatula or spoon. The top will be somewhat oily. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and chill for at least 4 hours or until firm. Cut into pieces.

Store fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Fudge may be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply transfer to the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

*Sally also mentions to use store-bought peanut butter. I am a peanut butter purist, so I never mess with the natural or homemade stuff, but for those who do, ditch that for this recipe. You also must, must, must sift the sugar. This is key to the smooth creaminess of the fudge.

I'm a generous baker. I try to give away what I make whenever possible because a) I don't need to eat a pan of brownies on my own and b) I really don't bake for myself, I bake for other people. Everyone loves good food. However, I've hit a bit of a roadblock as I'm now in a city and have no idea how to share anymore.

First of all, riding the metro with a tupperware full of sweets to the office is not remotely enjoyable. I'm not above it, but walking a mile to the metro and then hopping on with a giant container while simultaneously trying to snag a seat and read the paper is awkward. My solution to this was just to throw everything in a ziploc and stuff it in my purse to bring to the office, but as you can imagine this really doesn't work. Talk about smashed cookies...

Second, in college friends come over all the time. Friends take the food. The food is enjoyed. Problem solved. Friends come over on the weekends now, but I'm not usually baking on a Friday night so everyone can have fresh cookies with their wine (though wouldn't that be nice?).  I don't have a car and apparently people don't think I'm serious when I say, "Drive over here, I need you to come take these cookies/brownies/cake pops/etc." 

Then there is my last issue with sharing: neighbors. I don't know any of my neighbors and I doubt this is the type of place where a welcome to the neighborhood casserole is normal. My only contact with neighbors is from the people who live above me and their three children under the age of five. Their pastimes include dropping heavy objects on the floor, screaming and running, pushing furniture around and playing indoor basketball at 6am every morning. Yesterday when they saw me taking pictures outside they just stood there staring at me yelling, "COOKIES COOKIES CHOCOLATE"....they're gems. Feeding those children more sugar is the last thing you'll find me doing.

None of this really relates to these amazing cookies except for the fact that this recipe made a ton of them. They beg to be shared. If you've ever debated between a chocolate cookie and a chocolate chip cookie this is the answer to all of your problems (cookie problems, at least). It's the best of both worlds--the compromise cookie. I love them. So, as much as I wish I could give you the rest of these that are sitting in my kitchen, I will instead pass along the delicious recipe. How's that for sharing? Enjoy!


Double Fudge and Chocolate Chip Smashed Cookies
Recipe from Butter Baking

For the double fudge chocolate cookie dough
165g unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

For the chocolate chip cookie dough
Adapted from Baking Illustrated.
165g unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups + 2 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1  cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and line a few trays with baking paper.

To make the double fudge cookie dough, using a wooden spoon, mix the melted butter and both sugars together in a large bowl.

Add the egg and the egg yolk, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Mix in the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt until just incorporated. Finally, stir through the chocolate chips. Set aside while you make the other dough.

To make the chocolate chip cookie dough, using a wooden spoon, mix the melted butter and both sugars together in a large bowl.

Add the egg and the egg yolk, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt until just incorporated. Finally, stir through the chocolate chips.

Form each dough into 24 balls, using a large tablespoon of dough per ball, so you have a total of 48 balls of cookie dough.

Break each ball of dough in half and press together one half of chocolate chip cookie dough and one half of double fudge cookie dough, with the broken side facing up.

Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking trays and bake for 10 minutes. Makes 48 smashed cookies.

It's snowing here today...actually, let me correct myself. Last night it snowed, today everything has turned into ice. All classes before 11 a.m. were canceled this morning, but I had one at 11 that I couldn't miss. Unfortunately grace is not something I possess in any significant quantity, so I really shouldn't go outside in conditions like this. I didn't factor in the ice when I opened my front door, so proceeded to fall down all of the front steps and tumble over the side of the steps into the bushes. Just one of those days I guess!

But the cold made me think of these delicious hot chocolate sticks I made around Christmas. I never posted them because time slipped away and they are pictured next to a "ho ho ho" mug. With this weather I've decided these are a necessary (and easy) thing to have around. Once they're finished you just heat up a glass of milk and stir them right in. Voila! Rich, velvety hot chocolate in seconds. My brother preferred to eat them plain (he didn't understand why I had taken perfectly good fudge and deemed it "Hot Chocolate on a Stick"). Truthfully it is fudge on a stick. I'll take it either way.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Recipe from What's Megan Making (originally from King Arthur Flour)

½ cup heavy cream

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
3 cups (18 oz) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped chocolate bars or chips)
3/4 cup (4 oz) unsweetened baking chocolate
wooden sticks

Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper. Heat the cream and condensed milk over low heat until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; allow it to gently melt. After about 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and shiny. At this point you could ddd a few drops of flavoring oil (such as hazelnut, coffee, or vanilla). Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan; shake the pan gently to level. Sprinkle with cocoa, if desired. Set aside overnight to slowly harden.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out onto a clean cutting surface. Slice into 1 ¼" cubes (or size desired for serving). Heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut, for smoothest cuts. Stick a wooden stick into the center of each block. Roll in cocoa or crushed peppermint candy, if desired. Wrap in waxed paper, parchment, or plastic wrap to store.  (I'm storing mine in a tupperware in the freezer, with layers separated by waxed paper)  These will keep at room temperature 3-4 days, in the fridge about 10 days, in the freezer up to 30 days.

Yield: about 3 dozen blocks.