Chocolate Fondant / Molten Lava Cake

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 450ºF.
2. Bring 1/4" water in a small sauce pan to a simmer.
3. Brush two 6 or 7-oz. ramekins with butter, covering the bottom and vertically up the sides. Dust lightly with cocoa powder.
4. In a heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over the sauce pan with the simmering water. Stir continually, slow and controlled with a spatula, until smooth, blended, and melted. Set aside and let cool to room temperature. Warnings: Don't let the bowl touch the water, and keep the heat on very low. Don't over cook, or the butter will begin to separate and you'll need to start over.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar vigorously until completely blended and frothy.
6. Using a large spatula, gently fold in the chocolate mixture until smooth and blended. You want to keep the air in the mixture to get a good rise during the bake.
7. One third at a time, sift the flour over the batter and with your spatula gently fold together until just blended. If you add too much flour at once, you risk a lumpy batter and may end up over mixing.
8. Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins and bake 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are just firm when lightly touched. 11 minutes was quite perfect for our latest batch.
9. Let rest 1 minute after removing from oven. Hold the ramekins with a mitt or rag and gently let it slide out onto a plate upside down. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Dust with cocoa powder if you like.