Butterscotch Molten Lava Cakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a lovely dessert. It's easy, delicious and different enough to be interesting. While the cakes are patterned after the perennially popular lava cakes, their true parent is a wonderful dessert developed by Anna Ginsberg. Anna called her dessert Extreme Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake. Her recipe and photographed instructions can be found here. I've altered it slightly and while my version contains peanut butter, its predominant flavor is butterscotch. When perfectly executed, the center of the cakes will look like caramel and run like a slowly moving lava flow. If the cakes are over-baked they will be moist and have wonderful flavor, but they won't run and there's not much point in making lava-free lava cakes. You'll notice that the recipe calls for an egg substitute. While it may be overkill, these cakes don't bake long enough to destroy any salmonella that might be lurking in your eggs. Raw eggs can, of course, be used but not if you're feeding the very young, the very old or someone with a compromised immune system. These should be baked just before you plan to serve them. They are lovely with a bit of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. I know those of you who try the butterscotch mounds will love them. They are perfectly sized and are a wonderful way to end a meal. Here's the recipe.

Butterscotch Molten Lava Cakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Anna Ginsberg

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons room temperature butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
7 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butterscotch flavored chips
2/3 cup egg substitute or lightly beaten shelled eggs
1/3 cup lightly spooned cake or all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
6 small scoops vanilla ice cream
Optional garnish: 6 mint sprigs

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Rub insides of 6 jumbo (1-cup) muffin cups thoroughly with butter. Reserve remaining 7 tablespoons butter.
2) Mix cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar evenly into buttered muffin tins and shake back and forth, tilting slightly, so that sugar coats bottom and sides. Turn pan upside down and shake off excess cinnamon-sugar.
3) Stir together peanut butter, butterscotch chips and reserved 7 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute to melt; stir until smooth and creamy.
4) Combine reserved 6 tablespoons of sugar and egg in a separate bowl. Stir, do not beat, egg mixture into butterscotch mixture. Add flour and stir until smooth. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop batter into sugared muffin cups.
5) Bake for 7-9 minutes or until tops appear just-set. Do not overcook. Some lava may peak through the top – this is okay. Remove from oven.
6) Hold a flat cookie sheet firmly over muffin pan and grasping both cookie sheet and muffin pan, invert muffin pan so that cakes come out on tray. Sift confectioners’ lightly over lava cakes. Carefully transfer each lava cake to a dessert plate. Place a scoop of ice cream and a sprig of mint on each plate. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

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