Molten Cookie Sundae Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). If using a standard muffin tin, butter or spray 6 wells; if using 6 (6-ounce) ramekins, butter or spray and dust lightly with cocoa or flour, tapping out excess.

Melt butter and chocolate

Place 1 cup unsalted butter and 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (double-boiler) or microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring until smooth and fully melted. Remove from heat and let cool 3–5 minutes.

Mix wet ingredients

Whisk together 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar and the warm chocolate-butter mixture until uniform. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, whisking until combined. Stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt.

Form cookie dough

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula just until no large streaks of flour remain. Fold in any remaining chocolate chunks (if you reserved some) so the batter is thick and scoopable. The batter should be thick but soft — not pourable.

Fill molds and add centers

Spoon or scoop about 3 heaping tablespoons of batter into each prepared ramekin or muffin well, filling them about two-thirds full. If using dark chocolate pieces for molten centers, gently press one piece into the center of each mound of batter, then cover with a tablespoon of additional batter so the chocolate is enclosed.

Bake

Bake in the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 10–12 minutes. Start checking at 9 minutes: edges should be set and slightly puffed but centers still soft and jiggle when the pan is gently shaken. Overbaking will eliminate the molten center; adjust time per your oven and size of molds.

Rest and unmold

Remove from oven and let the cookies rest 1 minute. Run a small knife around edges, then invert each ramekin or turn out cookies onto a wire rack or plate. If the cookie seems too soft to release, let it rest an additional 1–2 minutes.

Warm hot fudge: Gently warm 1 cup hot fudge or chocolate sauce in a small saucepan over low heat or microwave in short bursts until pourable but not boiling.

Plate the cookie: Place one warm molten cookie on each serving plate or shallow bowl. If the cookie was cooled fully and the center solidified, microwave the cookie for 6–10 seconds to restore a molten center (test carefully).

Add ice cream and sauces: Top each warm cookie with 2 generous scoops (about 1/3–1/2 cup per scoop) of vanilla ice cream. Spoon warm hot fudge over the ice cream and cookie so some chocolate runs into the molten center. Drizzle optional caramel if desired.

Finish with garnishes: Sprinkle toasted chopped nuts over the sundae, add a dollop of whipped cream, and top with a maraschino cherry or chocolate shavings. Serve immediately while cookie is warm and center molten.

Make-ahead: Cookies can be prepared in the ramekins and refrigerated (covered) for up to 24 hours before baking; add 1–2 minutes to baking time. You can also freeze assembled raw cookies for later baking — freeze on a tray then transfer to a bag; bake from frozen adding 2–4 minutes.

Scaling: This recipe yields six molten cookie sundaes. For more servings, double ingredients and bake on additional sheets or batches.