Molten Chocolate Cake for one!

Have any of you watched The Great British Bake Off? I had no idea there were multiple seasons of it, but the latest one is on Netflix and it's lovely. Very soothing way to unwind after a day at work. I love the cheery cut scenes of sheep and rolling countryside, the pastel KitchenAid mixers, and the normalcy of the contestants. They're not professional chefs, they don't have over the top, made for tv personalities. They seem like friends and neighbors. 

Plus, the show makes me yearn for sugar. You don't even know the depths of my cake need yesterday around 7:30 pm. Thankfully, Joy the Baker came to my rescue again with her recipe for an individual molten chocolate cakes. A real one, not a desperate and gummy microwave one. In 15 minutes or less you can have your own gooey piece of heaven. 

And though it was nowhere near as fancy as the self saucing puddings the British bakers were making, I was quite pleased with myself. 

Single Girl Melty Chocolate Cake (from Joy the Baker Cookbook, Joy Wilson, 2012)

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips1
 large egg
4 tsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and place cookie sheet in oven as it heats up.  Generously flour and butter an 8-oz. (1 cup) ramekin.
2. Place butter and chocolate into a microwave-safe container (I used my glass measuring cup) and heat in microwave until both are melted, maybe 40 seconds.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and sugar.  Pour chocolate mixture into bowl and whisk until well incorporated.  Add salt and flour and mix until just combined.
4. Pour batter into prepped ramekin and place in oven on top of cookie sheet.  Bake 7-10 minutes; the less time it's in the oven, the more oozy the middle will be.  (The top should be set, though, so you can turn it out onto a plate!)
5. Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes.  Using pot holders, invert cake onto plate and devour.

Chocolate Orange Scones

Just finished the first week of my new job. It's strange, working in an office. It's so quiet. I kind of miss the friendly cacophony of the bakery. I also have my own office, with a door and everything, so people in the cubicles would have to go out of there way to chat with me. It's just different. When I get home, I'm tired bone tired and feeling the need to drop into bed like I was before, but the last rays of the sun are disappearing and I feel sad that I didn't get to see any light. It's a give and take, I suppose.

The good news is I'm feeling the urge to bake again already. It's a good way to ingratiate myself with my new co-workers, if nothing else. I made scones today, which has become second nature after doing it for so long. It's a great experience when you can just look at and feel a dough and know if it's right, or what else it needs. I don't want to brag, but I make a pretty killer scone. You can ask around if you don't believe me. These are flavored with chocolate and orange zest, a classic combination.

I'm not going to post the recipe unless I get express permission from my former boss, but if I do, it'll be up here. I just wanted to share a little slice of life with you.