Flourless Chocolate Cake

Happy Mother's Day 2011!  Catherine decided to add to the Mother's Day meal of pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes, and made a fantastic dessert.  She pulled out the Delicious Disney Desserts book we bought while on our 2009 Disney Cruise, and found the Flourless Chocolate Cake that we believe we had during the Golden Mickey's formal night while onboard.  You know how when you go out to a restaurant and you have a dish that you feel like you would never be able to replicate at home?  Well, I have to say, Catherine did an amazing job (with a tiny little help from moi)!  This little cake was moist, rich, and full of decadent chocolatey goodness!

For the Cakes:

• 1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. freshly brewed espresso
• 2 Tbsp. hot water
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. rum

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease muffin tin (capacity of 12).
2. Combine butter and chocolate chips in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  If not melted completely, return to microwave for 15-second intervals, stirring between each until melted.  Set aside.
3. Combine cocoa powder, espresso, and water in a separate bowl.  Stir until smooth and set aside.
4. Combine eggs, sugar, and rum in a large mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly.  Add cocoa-espresso mixture to egg mixture, then stir in melted chocolate mixture.  Whisk until smooth and creamy.
5. Pour batter into prepared muffin molds and bake until cakes puff slightly and surfaces are set, about 22-25 minutes.
6. Cool, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
   (We only had them cool for about 10 minutes and then removed from tins and cooled on a rack until the ganache was ready)

For the Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add heavy cream and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, whisk until smooth.
3. Set a wire rack over a large bowl and, one cake at a time, place on wire rack and coat with ganache, making sure cover the sides of the cake.
   (We added an extra touch of sifting powdered sugar over the tops)
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.