Chocolate Molten Cake

So, I made these last night because I had a major chocolate craving, and they turned out pretty well; John even said it was now one of his favorite desserts and gave it a 9.5 out of 10. In addition, they are easy to make, and the portions aren't huge so you don't have to feel super guilty for eating it. So, with no further ado:

Molten Chocolate Cake
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
• ½ cups Butter
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Real Whipping Cream
  
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Spray 4 custard cups** with cooking spray and place on cookie sheet (**you can find these in the baking section of the store, with all the pyrex baking stuff)
   
3. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted; whisk until chocolate is also melted
4. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
5. Divide between cups.
6. Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.
7. While cakes bake, combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff (i.e., make some homemade whipped cream!)
8. Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

Guilt Free Brownies

So, I haven't had them in a while, but I highly recommend "No Pudge!" Fat Free Brownie Mix. (It comes in 3 flavors--fudge, mint fudge, and raspberry fudge. I've only tried straight up fudge.) Basically you take the mix, blend with fat free yogurt, and what you end up getting is 12** brownies, each containing 120 calories and no fat (= 2 WW points)! But, how do they taste? IMO, pretty yummy! The times I have made them, I have been pleasantly surprised at how good they tasted. Topped w/some fat free cool whip, and you have yourself one tasty treat!

Where to find them? In Auburn, I have found them at Kroger with the other brownie/cakes mixes (usually on the top shelf of that section). To find where they sell them near you, go here. I think I will be buying some on my next Kroger visit.

**They also have a single serving recipe, if you can't trust yourself w/all of them at once. Taken directly from there website, it is: "One of our consumers created this. In a small microwaveable container mix 2 tablespoons of your favorite flavor No Pudge! Brownie mix with 1 tablespoon of non-fat vanilla yogurt. Microwave on high for one minute. Top with fat-free frozen yogurt or whipped topping. Tastes like a warm, fudgy brownie pudding - Yum!!!"

Chocolate Peanutbutter Trifle

I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website. It turned out all right; both John and I liked it. It wasn't quite as good as I had thought it might be, but I'd still give it a 6 or a 7 out of ten. I did substitute a few ingredients (reeses instead of chocolate covered peanuts, a chocolate-peanutbutter brownie mix instead of chocolate-PB cookies) because of personal preference and not being able to find the cookie mix the original recipe described. So anyways, above is the link to the original recipe, and below is my slightly modified version:

Ingredients

• 1 package brownie mix (whichever flavor you like)
• vegetable oil (however much brownie mix requires
• eggs (however much brownie mix requires)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanutbutter
• 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
• mini reeses, chopped/crumbled
  

Directions

1. Make brownies as directed on box (using oil, water, and egg(s)). Bake & cool as directed. Cut them up
2. Melt butter & sugar in saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, till mixture is smooth. Stir in peanut butter till well blended. Refrigerate 30 mins.
3. Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl w/electric mixer on high speed, till soft. Fold into peanut butter mixture.
4. Place half of brownie pieces of bottom of trifle bowl. Spoon half of peanut butter mixture over brownies. Top with remaining brownies & peanut butter mixture. Cover & refrigerate at least 2 hours, but no longer than 12 hours. Sprinkle with reeses.