I love searching for ingredients that are good for you, that you can easily sneak in place of something else and have healthy benefits. Lets face it.....something you can add that tastes like chocolate, or add it
with chocolate and maintain the health benefits, pass the plate love. I am not an advocate of eating the whole plate, but lets just say if you did – it would be better than say eating a whole bar of chocolate. I an talking about Carob, a new best friend.☺

Although this recipe is rich and decadent it is a great carrier for the carob powder and Gluten Free. Although it does have some chocolate, you can vary the size of the chocolate balls you make and control how much chocolate you put in.

Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

Yield: 6 Servings

1 1/2 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cup for cup GF flour
1/4 cup carob powder

Directions

To make centers, melt 2 ounces of chocolate (1/2 a baking bar) and cream in double boiler. Whisk gently to blend. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Form into 6 balls; refrigerate until needed.

To make cake, heat oven to 400°F. Spray six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate (1 baking bar) and butter in double boiler; whisk gently to blend. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and
light. Fold melted chocolate mixture, carob powder and GF flour into egg mixture just until combined. Spoon cake batter into ramekins. Place a chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin. Bake about 15 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Let it sit out of the oven for about 5 minutes.

Run a small, sharp knife around inside of each ramekin, place a plate on top, invert and remove ramekin. Garnish with raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

*To substitute for chocolate, use 3 Tbsp. Carob Powder and 1 tablespoon of water in place of each square of chocolate. This wont work as well for the chocolate balls in this recipe but as a rule for substituting in a recipe that does not require melting and re solidifying it works as a great replacement.