February is a Sweet Time to Visit the Great Smoky Mountains! Your Valentine will Love a Smokies Getaway!
February is a sweet time to visit the Great Smoky Mountains and your valentine will love a Smokies getaway AND these decadent Chocolate Lava Cakes that you can easily make!
Who wouldn’t love a romantic getaway this winter in beautiful, and sometimes snowy, Great Smoky Mountains! It’s a great time to celebrate the one you love or the love of the entire family! Either way, if it’s a cabin getaway you desire, Jackson Mountain Homes in Gatlinburg can make your dreams come true! And better yet, our friend Chef Ray with Fruitful Vintage can take your vacation plans to a whole new level with personal chef service at your cabin!
Just in time for the chocolate lover’s holiday, Chef Ray shows us how to make an easy and oh-so-decadent dessert that you’re sure to want to treat your loved ones to this time of year! Check out his how-to video and get your ramekins ready for love!
Video filmed at beautiful Dreamscapes cabin by Jackson Mountain Homes in Gatlinburg. For reservations, call 800-473-3163.
Here’s Chef Ray’s super easy and delicious recipe for Chocolate Lava Cakes a la Mode!
Chef Ray’s Chocolate Lava Cakes a la Mode
1/2 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar, and additional 1 tablespoon for garnish
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
4 large strawberries, sliced and fanned, for garnish
4 small ramekins, buttered (or cooking spray)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place buttered ramekins on foil lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Microwave chocolate chips and butter in large microwavable bowl* on High for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Slowly stir in powdered sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour last. Divide batter evenly between prepared ramekins. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve cakes in ramekins or carefully run a small knife around cakes to loosen and invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Garnish each cake with a strawberry. Add a scoop of ice cream, and sprinkle entire dessert plate with powdered sugar through a sifter.
*Cool Cooking Tip from Chef Ray – you can use a stainless steel bowl in the microwave for a short period of time as long as the surface is completely smooth and the sides of the bowl do not touch the sides of the microwave. Never use aluminum foil in the microwave because it always gets crinkly and therefore not a smooth surface.
Visit Chef Ray at FruitfulVintageChef.com or call 865-774-0251.
