My CrossFit ladies are amazing.  In the gym, they are constantly encouraging, pushing me to my limits, motivating, and supportive.  And outside the gym, they give me recipes like this one.  I’m serious.  My girl Noelle texted me the recipe, and her pictures of the chocolate lava goodness a while ago.  Then she told me about it again.  Then she showed me some more pictures.  I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before the inspiration struck to make it myself.  Well, I made it.  I ate it.  I licked the plate clean.  And I contemplated making another one.  Kidding.  Kind of.  I think this dessert might even have magical weight lifting powers.  This morning, I lifted a lot of weight.  More than I’ve done on any other morning.  Could be any number of things, but probably it is this cake.  Go make it.  It will make you stronger!  That’s a lie, but still.  You should make it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or grass-fed butter), divided
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, or coconut sugar (for dusting the ramekin)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I cut up a Theo Chocolate Bar cause it is tasty, but also soy-free and dairy-free)
• 1 large organic egg
• 4 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon almond butter or bourbon.  Do you even need to ask which one I use?  The bourbon.  Duh.
• 1 teaspoon coconut flour
• Pinch of smoked sea salt

METHOD:

1.  Grease a 3/4 cup ramekin with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil (or butter).  Dust with cocoa powder or coconut sugar and set aside.

2.  In a sauce pan over low heat, combine chocolate and 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter) until melted.

3.  While the chocolate is cooling a little bit, in a separate bowl, whisk together egg, coconut sugar, and your choice of either bourbon or almond butter.  Honestly, is that even a choice?  Go with the bourbon.  Just do it.

4.  Pour chocolate mixture into egg mixture, and whisk until well incorporated.

5.  Stir in salt and coconut flour until just combined.

6.  Pour batter into greased/dusted ramekin and bake in 375 F oven for 7-10 minutes, or until desired doneness is achieved.  In both my oven and Noelle’s oven, the magical time is 9 minutes.  The outside is cooked and fluffy, and the inside ooooooozes chocolate goodness.

7.  Let cool for 2 minutes, then using a hot pad, turn ramekin upside onto plate.  The cake should easily come out of ramekin.  Eat it.  Right away.  Then leave a comment and tell us what you thought.

oh, and PS:  This recipe is for but one mere lava cake.  If you are making more than one, and I highly suggest you do, just double, or triple, or whatever the recipe and then split evenly among ramekins.  Got it?

PSS:  I tripled the batter, made it about an hour before dinner time, and split it between 3 ramekins and let it sit on counter.  15 minutes before dessert time, I preheated oven and popped em in.  That way we could eat them hot and fresh without me having to mix batter during dinner.  They turned out amazing.

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

**Adapted from Sunset Magazine, February 2012.