Here's some music I sometimes listen to while I work. It's good light background music. It sounds really good, but it's not too distracting. Best of all, it's free for personal use. :-)

Free music for professional licensing

Free music for professional licensing

Free music for professional licensing

It's been about a year since my last post on this blog. That means it's time to post again. Here's a recipe I came up with. It's got a lot of variables to play with, so it's perfect for people who like to experiment in the kitchen. You can adjust the cooking time, size/shape of mug, amount of spice, etc. as desired.

Microwave Molten Chile Chocolate Cake

A traditional molten cake has a somewhat firm crust and a runny center, but this version is not traditional. (Not yet, anyway!) This recipe makes a cake that's cooked through, but is resting on a small amount of gooey chocolatey goodness. Because it uses a microwave, you can make this cake from start to finish in under five minutes. The spices are optional, but recommended. They add a nice warmth and flavor.

2 T flour
1/4 C sugar
3 T cocoa
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1/4 t chipotle powder
1/16 t cardamom
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T milk
2 T oil
1/8 t vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients in a 16 oz. microwavable mug. (Make sure they're thoroughly mixed or you may end up with white specks in the finished product.) Add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Microwave on high for about 85 seconds. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the mug and microwave. You want the top of the cake to be completely cooked, but there should still be a small amount of warm batter in the bottom of the mug. Top w/ a small scoop of chocolate ice cream. Adding the ice cream will cause the cake to fall, but don't worry about that. It will be delicious! Serve in the mug while still warm.