Applebee's Triple Chocolate Meltdown

Chocolate Cake
8 (1 oz.) squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 C. unsalted butter
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1/3 C. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 C. flour

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Heavily butter and then flour 8 (1-cup) ramekins or coffee cups. Set cups on a cookie sheet. Chop chocolate into small even pieces. Melt with the butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water (or microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds after the first one or two minutes, until only a small chunk of solid chocolate remains). Remove from heat and stir until melted, smoother and cooled.

Beat eggs, yolks and sugar together at high speed for 6 to 8 minutes. The mixture will become thick like cream and become beige-colored. Fold in the cooled chocolate and vanilla extract. Sift the flour over chocolate and fold in. Pour batter into prepared cups. Bake 7 minutes. Pull out of oven and tuck a piece of frozen lava deep into the center of the half-baked batter in each cup. Return to oven and bake for 6 to 7 minutes more. Cakes will rise straight over the rims of the cups and may crack slightly. Cool in cups on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Sauce
8 (1 oz.) squares semisweet chocolate
1 C. cream
1/2 C. sugar

Chop chocolate evenly. In a saucepan, heat half the cream with sugar until it boils. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until it melts and sauce is smooth. Add remaining cream and stir again, patiently, until thick and smooth. Warm sauce gently for pouring. If allowed to set at room temperature, it will turn the consistency of sour cream and can be used like frosting. Makes 2 cups.

To assemble, make Chocolate Sauce. Drizzle Chocolate Sauce in a north-south zigzag over the caramel. Pull a wooden pick or knife back and forth cross the chocolate, going east-west to create a feathering effect. Run a thin knife around each cake to carefully loosen, then invert onto the sauce. Top with warm Chocolate Sauce, letting sauce drip down the sides of the cakes. If desired, decorate with fresh berries. Serve warm. When cut, chocolate will spill out of the warm cake

Source:  Yahoo Answers

To ensure the custards cook gently and gradually, place the ramekins in a baking pan lined with a kitchen towel and partially fill the pan with hot water (known as a water bath). This helps insulate the delicate custards from the heat.
Ingredients:

Juice of 2 lemons
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plus 6 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 egg yolks

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 300°F. Line a shallow baking pan with a kitchen towel. Have a pot of boiling water ready.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lemon juice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the juice is reduced to about 1 Tbs., 3 to 5 minutes.

In another saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, lemon zest and the 1/2 cup sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until steam rises from the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the vanilla and egg yolks until smooth and combined. Slowly add the cream mixture, whisking constantly, then stir in the reduced lemon juice. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and divide among six 3.5-oz. ramekins. Place the ramekins in the prepared baking pan and add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custards are just set, about 40 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let the custards cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar evenly over the surface of each custard. Using a kitchen torch according to the manufacturer’s instructions, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Ingredients

# 5 large egg yolks
# 1/4 cup cornstarch
# 3 to 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
# 1 1/2 cups sugar
# 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
# 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
# 1/2 ripe banana, mashed
# 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
# 3 pounds of bananas, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
# 3/4 cup caramel sauce
# 1 cup chocolate sauce
# 2 cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks with 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
# shaved chocolate
# powdered sugar

Caramel Drizzle Sauce
# 1 cup granulated sugar
# 1/4 cup water
# 1 cup heavy cream   

Chocolate Sauce
# 1/4 cup half-and-half
# 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
# 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
# 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract   

Directions for the Pie

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Whisk to blend well. Set aside. Combine the remaining 2 cups cream, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, and the vanilla bean in a large heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, Whisk to dissolve the sugar and bring to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes.

Slowly add the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Be forewarned: the mixture will break. Don't be alarmed! Pour it into a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap down over the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely at room temperature.

When cooled, remove the vanilla bean and pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip. Beat at medium-speed to combine the mixture. If it will not combine, warm another 1/2 cup heavy cream and slowly add it to the mixture. Whip until you have a thick and creamy custard.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, the remaining sugar and the mashed banana. Mix thoroughly. Add the butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool, for about 10 minutes.

Directions for the Caramel Sauce

1. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a deep caramel color and has the consistency of a thin syrup, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cream, return the saucepan to the high heat and boil the sauce until it regains the consistency of a thick syrup, about 2 minutes. Cool.

2. The sauce can be refrigerated until ready to use. Allow it to reach room temperature before drizzling it over the pie.

Directions for the Chocolate Sauce

1. Combine the half-and-half and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until a thin paperlike skin appears on the top. Do not boil. Add the chocolate and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and let cool.

3. The sauce can be kept refrigerated for several days, but it must be returned to room temperature before serving.

Assembling Directions

1. To assemble, spread about 1/2 cup of the custard on the bottom of the crust. Arrange about a third of the banana slices, crowding them close together over the custard. Next, spread 1 cup of the custard over the bananas. Arrange another third of the banana slices close together over the custard. Top with 1 cup custard and the remaining banana slices. Top with the remaining custard, covering the bananas completely to prevent them from turning brown.

2. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.

3. To serve, cut pie into wedges and drizzle on the caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Top with the whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Yields: One 9-inch pie, 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

    * 3  cups  chopped cooked chicken
    * 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
    * 1/2  cup  sour cream
    * 1  (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
    * 1/3  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
    * 8  (8-inch) flour tortillas
    * Vegetable cooking spray
    * 1  (8-ounce) container sour cream
    * 1  (8-ounce) bottle green taco sauce
    * Toppings: diced tomato, chopped avocado, chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped cilantro

Preparation

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Coat tortillas with vegetable cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Stir together sour cream and taco sauce. Spoon over hot enchiladas, and sprinkle with toppings.

Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2000

Ingredients

• 2 1/4  pounds  skinned and boned chicken breasts
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 24  large hard-cooked eggs, peeled
• 1  cup  mayonnaise
• 2  green onions, finely chopped
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh dill
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400° to 500°) 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 15 minutes; cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

2. Slice hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise; carefully remove yolks, keeping egg white halves intact. Reserve yolks for another use.

3. Stir together mayonnaise, next 4 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl.

4. Pulse cooled chicken, in batches, in a food processor 3 to 4 times or until shredded; stir into mayonnaise mixture until blended. Spoon chicken mixture evenly into egg white halves. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Southern Living, APRIL 2007

Ingredients

• 20  large fresh strawberries
• 40  caramels
• 3  tablespoons  whipping cream
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/4  cups  coarsely chopped mixed nuts
• Wax paper

Preparation

1. Pat strawberries completely dry with paper towels.

2. Microwave caramels, 3 Tbsp. whipping cream, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a 1-qt. microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 1-minute intervals.

3. Dip each strawberry halfway into caramel mixture. Roll in nuts, and place on lightly greased wax paper. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Kraft Caramels and Planters NUTrition Heart Healthy Mix.

Southern Living, APRIL 2009