Suzanne's Lava Cakes

*Note from Suzanne....the cakes look very impressive, but they are super simple to make. I loved them.

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon real vanilla
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butter six 3/4-cup ceramic ramekins.

Stir the chocolate and butter together in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the vanilla. Cool the mixture slightly.

Whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared dishes, dividing equally. Cover and chill them if you are making the lava cake a day in advance. 

Bake the cakes until the sides are set but the center remains soft, about 11 minutes. (If you have refrigerated the batter, you might have to bake them up to 15 minutes.) You really do want the center soft so that it is runny on the inside, so remove the cakes from the oven promptly--and don't second guess yourself.

Immediately, run a small knife around the edges to loosen the cakes. Put the cakes on plates and I like to serve them with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 6 cakes