FALLING CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Falling Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Sauce
4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Chocolate cake
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for greasing ramekins
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting ramekins
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 large eggs

For serving
4 cup vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
6 mint sprigs

Raspberry Sauce: Place the raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring over high heat. Boil until the sugar dissolves. Cool. Place half of the sauce in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and puree. Combine with the remaining sauce, cover, and refrigerate until cold.

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour six 8-ounce ramekins.

Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool. Place the sugar, flour and eggs, in a large bowl and beat until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gently beat in the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the sides. Bake until they begin to puff up, about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin, and turn the ramekin upside-down on a plate to unmold. Serve each cake warm, surrounded by sauce, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Garnish with confectioners' sugar and sprigs of fresh mint.

Serves 8.

Variation: Bake in an 8-inch round pan.