Boca Negra Chocolate Chipotle Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter ramekins and dust with sugar, knocking out excess.
• Toast chiles in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard stems, seeds, and ribs, then soak chiles in hot water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chiles in a mini food processor or a blender, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons soaking liquid as needed to form a paste. Force paste through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Set aside 1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste and freeze remainder for another use.
• Bring juice and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot syrup over chocolate in a large bowl, stirring until chocolate is melted. Add butter and stir until melted.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition, then stir in chile paste, flour, and salt. Divide among ramekins and bake in hot water bath , uncovered, until just firm and top is starting to crust, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer ramekins with tongs to a work surface and let stand 2 minutes.
• Unmold warm cakes directly onto dessert plates (they will be difficult to move once they adhere).
• *Available at Mexican markets, many supermarkets, and Chile Today-Hot Tamale (800-468-7377).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter the bottom and sides of eight 4-ounce ramekins or one 9-inch cake pan (not a springform pan) and dust with sugar, tapping out the excess.
• TO MAKE THE CAKES, remove the stems, seeds, and veins of the chiles and toast them flat in a hot skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, flipping them so they don't burn. Transfer to a bowl, cover with very hot water, and let soak until softened, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, reserve the liquid, and purée the chiles in a blender or food processor, adding a bit of the liquid as needed to form a smooth paste. Press through a fine-mesh sieve if the paste isn't completely smooth. You will only need 1 1/2 tablespoons of the paste, but you can freeze the rest for later use.
• Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Combine the orange juice and sugar in a small pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the chocolate and stir until melted and combined. (I like to use a whisk, but don't beat it, simply stir.) Add the butter, little by little, and stir until melted. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle paste and the flour and salt, stirring until smooth. Pour into the prepared ramekins.
• Place the ramekins, evenly spaced, in a towel-lined baking dish to prevent them from sliding. Carefully pour hot water to fill three-fourths of the way up the sides. Bake until a thin, crusty layer forms on top and the cakes are set, 40 to 45 minutes. If using a cake pan it should take 50 to 55 minutes to bake. Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the ramekins with a towel or tongs. Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
• TO MAKE THE TOMATILLO SAUCE, remove the husks from the tomatillos, rinse them under cold water, dry with a towel, and coarsely chop them. Put them in a pot, scrape the vanilla bean into the pot and add the pod, and add the piloncillo, water, sugar, and canela. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the tomatillos are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla pod and canela. Transfer to a food processor and purée to the desired consistency (completely smooth or a bit chunky). Let cool. (This can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If it is too thick, add a bit of water until it is a pourable consistency.) Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
• To unmold the cakes, dip a small, sharp knife into hot water, dry it quickly, and run it around the edges. Dip the bottom of the ramekins or cake pan into very hot water for about 1 minute (a bit longer if using a cake pan) and unmold onto plates. Be careful because they are fragile and will be difficult to move once they are unmolded. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes if using ramekins, 1 hour if using a cake pan.
• To slice the cake, dip a sharp knife into very hot water and quickly dry with a towel between each slice (this will make nice clean edges). Serve the unmolded cakes at room temperature with sauce on the side.