Jean-Georgess Warm Chocolate Cake - unsalted butter

Method

• Butter eight 4-ounce ramekins or sixteen 2-ounce molds and dust them lightly with flour.
• Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.
• Put the butter and chocolate in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave, using 30-second bursts.
• Stir until smooth.
• Put the egg yolks and eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk.
• Beat at medium speed until frothy.
• Pour in the sugar and increase the speed to medium-high.
• Continue to beat until the eggs have tripled in volume.
• Scrape the butter and chocolate into the eggs.
• Beat until well mixed, scraping the bowl once or twice.
• Sift the flour over the batter and fold it in gently.
• Put the batter in a pastry bag and pipe into the ramekins.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until youre ready to serve the dessert or for up to 8 hours.
• Take the cakes out of the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature.
• Heat the oven to 475F or 450F on convection.
• Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the cakes until the sides and tops are set, about 4 minutes for small cakes or 6 to 7 minutes for large ones.
• The centers will still be very soft.
• Invert the ramekins onto dessert plates.
• Leave for about 10 seconds, then lift off the ramekins.
• Spoon a little chocolate sauce around each cake.
• Make a small pile of chocolate crumble to the side, and top with a scoop of ice cream.
• Garnish the ice cream with crystallized vanilla and the cake with confectioners sugar, if you want.
• Serve immediately.