In fact, when I was that age, I really wanted a teddy bear on Valentine’s Day. I got one eventually, and when I did, it took away all the mystique and appeal. I guess maybe it’s not always a good idea to get what we think we want. Turns out, a bear holding a heart is still just a bear.
But I do still get excited every Valentine’s Day, and part of that excitement stems from the anticipation of adorable desserts. Desserts should be cute on Valentine’s, and they should also be creative. I’m not trying to hate on chocolate lava cake (because it is totally delicious and amazing), but why can’t we have other little cakes as well? Or, dare I suggest it, little cookie cakes?
These are pretty awesome. What we’ve got here is a chocolate chunk cookie mini-cake, but with a lovely bit of melty chocolate inside. I stick a big square of bittersweet chocolate into the middle of the cake to give it an extra chocolate punch.
Served warm, the chocolate oozes out. Served cool, it’s still a lot of fun. And there’s tons of potential for romance with these babies! Or, you know, just a really good ten minutes. Whatever works for you.
The greatest thing about cookie cakes is that you don’t have to chill any dough before baking. The other greatest thing about these particular cookie cakes is that they’re portion-controlled. Have your Valentine’s Day cake and save the rest for another time!
Kids love them, too. Nothing was more gratifying than watching my daughter plow through her cookie cake with a look of sheer stubborn determination on her face, like it was a mountain she was going to conquer. Someday, she’ll have no trouble eating two of these in one sitting. But for now, they look big to a little girl’s eyes.
Whatever your sweet choices are for the upcoming holiday, make sure they’re cute. Whether that means they’re pink, they’re mini, or both, seize the day!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a muffin pan with pan release spray. Pam will work, but be careful.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, stirring until incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Fill each muffin cup partway with a large ball of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons). Press 1-2 chocolate squares in the center, pushing down to be sure that the dough underneath spreads. Cover with a second ball of cookie dough.
- Spray a spoon with cooking spray and use it to flatten the top layer of each muffin cup completely, covering the chocolate.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes are golden and the centers are set.
- Cool for 10 minutes. Flip carefully onto a platter. Serve immediately if you want the chocolate to be melted, or you can heat them up later.
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