Dense chocolate cake hides a rich torrent of caramel in this pint-size dessert. Dense chocolate cake hides a rich torrent of caramel in this pint-size dessert.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces (1 cup)
One recipe Praline Sauce (see below)
Three eggs
Three egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Lightly grease and flour six 1- to 1-1/4-cup souffle dishes or six 10-ounce custard cups. Place souffle dishes or custard cups in a shallow baking pan and set pan aside. In a heavy small saucepan melt butter and semisweet chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.

Meanwhile, prepare Praline Sauce, cover and keep warm until needed.

Bake ten minutes. Pull cakes out of oven. Using a small spatula or table knife, puncture top of each partially-baked cake and gently enlarge to make a dime-sized hole. Slowly spoon about 1 tablespoon Praline Sauce into center of each cake. Return cakes to oven. Bake 5 minutes more or until cakes feel firm at the edges.

Cool in dishes on a wire rack for five minutes. Using a small spatula or knife, loosen cake edges from sides of dish or cup and slip cake out upright onto individual dessert plates. Stir 1/3-cup toasted pecan halves into the remaining Praline Sauce. If necessary, stir one to 2-tablespoons hot water into remaining sauce to thin. Spoon warm Praline Sauce on top of cakes. Top with pecan halves and sweetened whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Praline Sauce

In a heavy medium saucepan combine 1/2-cup sugar, 1/3-cup packed brown sugar and 2- tablespoons dark colored corn syrup. Stir in 1/2-cup whipping cream. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, ten minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Makes one-cup of sauce.

Recipe makes six servings.