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Chocolate lava cookies

These gourmet chocolate lava cookies have an irresistible molten chocolate center! They are rich and decadent, yet surprisingly straightforward to make. Recipe includes a how-to video!

Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 18 mins
Servings: 17 cookies
Calories: 369 kcal
Course: Dessert , Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the ganache
  • 6 6 oz semisweet chocolate bar finely chopped
  • ⅔ ⅔ cup heavy cream
For the cookie dough
  • 1 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 ¼ 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ ½ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk room temperature preferred
  • 1 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ⅓ 3 ⅓ cups cake flour (see note)
  • ½ ½ cup dark cocoa powder (see note)
  • 2 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ ¾ table salt
  • powdered sugar for topping

Instructions

For the ganache
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place chocolate in a medium-sized heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium-low heat until steaming. Remove from heat and pour evenly over chocolate. Cover bowl with foil and let sit for 5 minutes.
  3. After 5 minutes, whisk chocolate and cream mixture until smooth. Let sit until solidified (you can speed this up by placing the bowl in the refrigerator). Meanwhile, begin preparing cookie dough.
For the cookie dough
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  2. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
  3. In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, dark cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until completely combined. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Form ganache into balls
  1. Once ganache has solidified, scoop into Tablespoon sized portions and drop onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer.
Assembly
  1. When cookie dough is nearly done chilling, preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Scoop ¼ cup of cookie dough and roll gently between your palms to create a smooth ball. Using your thumbs, press a crater just into the center of the dough (don’t press too deep, or the filling will spill out the bottom of the cookies after baking). Retrieve one dollop of ganache from the freezer, press into the crater, fold dough over ganache so there is no ganache showing. Roll gently between your palms to create a smooth ball, make sure all of the ganache is covered. Repeat with remaining dough and ganache.
  3. Place on prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” apart. Transfer to center rack of 375F (190C) oven and bake for 13 minutes.
  4. (Optional) Within one minute of coming out of the oven, take a large flat bottomed measuring cup and gently flatten the tops of the cookies for a lava cake appearance. Do not press too hard or the ganache will leak!
  5. Let cookies cool on the cookie tray, then sift powdered sugar over the tops before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

  • I prefer cake flour, as it gives the cookies a cakier texture that’s reminiscent of lava cakes. If you need to use all purpose flour, use 3 cups or 375g.
  • May substitute Dutch process cocoa powder
  • The powdered sugar will melt if added while the cookies are too warm, and it may also melt in the refrigerator. It’s fine to add the powdered sugar just before serving.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 6 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cookie Calories 369kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 47g (16%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0.4g Cholesterol 51mg (17%) Sodium 43mg (2%) Potassium 142mg (4%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 25g (50%) Vitamin A 492IU (10%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 17cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 369

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cookie
Calories 369kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 47g 16%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 0.4g 20%
Cholesterol 51mg 17%
Sodium 43mg 2%
Potassium 142mg 3%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 25g 50%
Vitamin A 492IU 10%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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