Chocolate Lava Cake... a Taste Explosion

This is definitely one of my favorite recipes ever. I'm of the mindset that chocolate is the final section of the food pyramid, and this chocolate lava cake literally oozes it. The only way to eat chocolate lava cake is right out of the oven, when it is extra hot and gooey. I found that the original recipe in Cook's Illustrated didn't have nearly enough molten chocolate in the center, so I decided to add a spoonful of ganache (a mixture of chocolate and cream) before baking. It doesn't solidify with the cake, so you are guaranteed to have a rich, liquidy center. This chocolate lava cake is decadent, so I like to balance it with some fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The light sweetness complements the fudgy richness of the cake, and they combine to make the perfect dessert!

Chocolate Lava Cake,? Makes 8

3 T Cream 8 oz + 1/3 Cup Chocolate Chips 1 Stick Butter 4 Eggs 1 Egg Yolk 1 tsp Vanilla 1/4 tsp Salt 1/2 Cup Sugar 2 T Flour

Heat the cream and 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a small bowl and stir to combine. Chill until solid.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 400F. Grease 8 6-oz ramekins and dust with a 50/50 mixture of cocoa and flour.

Melt the butter and remaining chocolate together in a large bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, salt, and sugar together. Pour gently on top of the chocolate mixture and sprinkle with the flour. Gently fold the mixture together to avoid deflating.

Spoon half of the batter into the ramekins. Place a spoonful of solidified ganache in the center of each and cover with the remaining batter. Place the ramekins on a cookie tray to keep level and bake for 12 minutes or until just set around the edges, crispy on top, and liquidy in the center.

Serve warm, in ramekins. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with strawberry, if desired.

Contributed by Kayla Saslow, teen food blogger at? The Nerdy Chef.

Dessert... for breakast? Yep.

We were all told at some point or another that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that it will even help your grades! Unfortunately, there is rarely time to eat something before school or work, but here's a tip to make it happen: a recipe for Banana Streusel Muffins, a relatively healthy breakfast that is easily transported for a breakfast-on-the-go. You can even make the batter over the weekend and bake one or two at a time throughout the week so that they are fresh. These muffins are full of bananas, and, though muffins have a bad reputation, the wheat bran makes them exponentially healthier.

Banana Streusel Muffins Makes 18, Recipe Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

2 2/3 Cups Flour 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Stick Butter 3 T Butter 1/2 Cup Chopped Almonds 1 1/2 Cups Wheat Bran 1 T Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 T Cinnamon 1 tsp Ginger 1 Cup Milk 3 T Corn Syrup 3 Ripe Bananas, mashed

Heat the oven to 400F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Streusel: Combine 2/3 cup flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir in the almonds. This is your streusel!

Batter: Combine the remaining flour, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger to make your flour mixture.

Combine the milk, butter, corn syrup, and remaining brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the baking soda and bananas. Add to the flour mixture.

Baking Instructions: Spoon the batter into the cups and top with the streusel. Bake until cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Contributed by Kayla Saslow, teen food blogger at The Nerdy Chef.

Healthy Cookies that totally taste terrific!

Resolution: Eat Healthier.We believe cooking should be fun, food should be enjoyable, and eating healthy should be easy and tasty! So, does award-winning teen chef &? PopCosmo PopStar, Kayla. We are so excited that she will be sharing her favorite recipes with us on a regular basis. Thanks, Kayla! Take it away...

"Healthy eating doesn't necessarily mean tofu and protein shakes. By making your own food and incorporating some simple switches, you can save a ton of calories and avoid artificial fillers without sacrificing taste. These Trail Mix Cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth, and they are full of oats, coconut, raisins, and nuts. You can change the ingredients as long as you keep the basic flavors and ratios, so try them with other dried fruits and nuts. I will also sometimes substitute whole wheat flour for about half of the all-purpose flour. Because there are so many oats, fruits, and nuts, you won't taste the difference. Enjoy!"

Trail Mix Cookies Makes 28, Recipe adapted from Gourmet

1/2 Stick Butter, Softened 1/4 Cup Shortening 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar 1 Egg 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, Dissolved in 1 T Warm Water 1/2 Cup + 2T Flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Vanilla 1 1/2 Cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats 1/4-1/2 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut 1 Cup Chocolate Chips 1/3 Cup Walnuts 2/3 Cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 375F and line cookie trays with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and shortening; beat in the brown sugar. Add in the egg, baking soda solution, flour, salt, and vanilla, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the oats, coconut, chocolate chips, peanuts, and raisins.

Scoop the dough into 28-30 balls. Place them on the cookie trays and flatten slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes or until browned.

Check out Kayla's blog for more ideas! Just click here!

PopCosmo Popstar: Kayla

PopCosmo PopStar is a feature in which we share cool things that you are doing. Whether you make a difference with your volunteer work, you design jewelry, you are an athlete with a dream, or you do something else cool and unique, we would love to hear from you.  No matter what you do, you are a star… so share your story with us!

Our PopStar, Kayla, is a high school student from Atlanta, Georgia who is already a chef, business owner, and excellent student. We know how difficult it can be to balance doing well in school and spending time with friends, but when you add work to the mix, it gets even tougher. Kayla works to gain experience, learn from other chefs, and also to share her creations with others.  She impressed us with her creativity, drive, and commitment... and the fact that she cooks dinner for her family most nights!

Age: 16 Always has: my purse and laptop Proudest of: winning the 2011 Share Our Strength Great American Baking Contest Is thankful for: all of the opportunities I've had Wants to: go to Cornell University and be on Food Network Is afraid of: bugs and needles Believes everyone should: live up to their full potential My style: changes every day Pet peeve: fidgety people

At what age did you start cooking? I'm not really sure, but it's been a while How did you realize cooking was an interest? I've always been a picky eater, and I found that I liked food better when I made it. Oh, and my parents let me eat dessert if I made it. What made you decide to turn a hobby into a business? I realized that I needed reasons to bake, so I decided to attempt to sell things to my friends and my parents' coworkers. How did you find a job in a restaurant? It's a long story, but basically my Dad met a pastry chef at a benefit, and they worked it out so that I could intern at the restaurant she worked at. Tell us about your work in restaurants:? I have interned at Pricci and The Horseradish Grille, and I started working officially at Alon's Bakery. I work with the pastry chefs at the restaurants for a few hours every once in a while to prepare the desserts that they serve. At Alons, I worked for around 6 hours every day for 5 weeks over the summer in addition to whenever they are extremely busy. How do you balance work, cooking for fun, and getting good grades in school? Pastry chefs tend to work from early morning til early afternoon. I only work in restaurants when I have time off of school because the times just don't line up, and I only cook for fun after I finish my homework. Grades are definitely my first priority. Have you entered in cooking contests? I've been involved with Share Our Strength for the past three years and they have an annual baking contest. The first year I entered, I was in the top ten but didn't actually win anything. The second year, I won second place for my raspberry brownies, and last year, I came in first for my caramel apple walnut tartlets. What is your favorite thing to eat? I don't have a favorite food, but I love chinese food, pizza, cookie dough, and anything chocolate. What is your favorite item to prepare for others? I definitely love making pies and tarts because there are so many different flavor combinations. After I realized there was more to pie than fruit filling, I started experimenting, and I haven't become bored yet! Do you cook for your family? Yes, I cook dinner most nights. What is your goal, pertaining to cooking? I'm trying to decide between becoming a pastry chef, being a food scientist, and being on Food Network. Hopefully it will be a combination of all three! Who is your favorite chef? My top two are Alton Brown because he combines science and food and Gordon Ramsay, pictured above, because he has such high standards. What is one item of food that you would never eat? Any green vegetable What is the one restaurant where you would like to eat? Work? I would love to eat and work at Alinea in Chicago because it is centered on Molecular Gastronomy (using science in cooking to manipulate temperature, texture, etc.). Do you watch cooking shows, and if so, which ones are your favorites? I watch too many to list, but my favorites include Cake Boss, Chopped, Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, Dinner: Impossible, and Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. What is your best advice for a beginning cook? Read as much as you can, because experienced chefs have a lot of knowledge to offer. Worst thing you've ever made? I once attempted to make an El Salvadorian dish called Pupusas, which are made of a corn-based dough and some sort of filling. The dough dried up, cracked, and fell apart, and the filling was bland and had a strange texture. We ended up ordering Chinese food.

Thanks for sharing with us Kayla! We have no doubt that you will continue to accomplish your goals and we can't wait to see you starring in your own show one day. We are also excited to announce a treat for PopCosmo fans: Kayla will be sharing some of her favorite recipes with us over the next few months! ? Stay tuned....

Greek Pita Pocket

Excerpted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes by Alison Lewis © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca.? Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Serves 4

This Greek-style sandwich is a delicious combination and is so easy to make. We love making these on busy weeknights.

1 cup? plain nonfat yogurt [250 mL] 2 tbsp? freshly squeezed lemon [40 mL + 2 tsp? ? juice] 1 tbsp? chopped fresh dill [15 mL] (see Tips, below) 1/2 tsp lemon pepper, divided [2 mL] 12 oz? lean ground beef [375 g] 1/2 cup? diced onion [125 mL] 2? cloves garlic, minced 1 cup? quartered cherry tomatoes [250 mL] 1 tsp? Greek seasoning [5 mL] (see Tips, below) 4? 6-to-8-inch [15 to 20 cm] pitas with pockets 1-1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce [375 mL] 4 tsp reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese [20 mL]

1.? ? In a small bowl, combine yogurt, 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the lemon juice, dill and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of the lemon pepper. Set aside.

2.? ? In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, sauté beef, onion and garlic, breaking up meat with a spoon until beef crumbles, for 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, Greek seasoning, remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) of lemon juice and remaining 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of lemon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

3.? ? Place pitas on a work surface. Spread yogurt sauce equally in each pita. Place lettuce, beef mixture and feta cheese equally in each pita.

Tips:

• Fresh dill can be kept for only about 2 days. It's wonderful in chicken salad, with seafood and as a garnish to many dishes.
• To make your own Greek seasoning: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each dried oregano, dried parsley, dried garlic powder and salt.

Enjoy!!

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All treats... no trick

Halloween is definitely one of our favorite holidays... when else can you dress as crazy as you want, hang out with your friends, ask neighbors for candy, and end the evening with a perfect sugar rush? ? We wanted to get everyone in the mood for Halloween, and could think of no better way than preparing some sweet treats for our friends or teachers. ? One Charming Party, an amazing website full of party concepts and images (and ideas you can use for babysitting) has unbelievable suggestions: cute (natch), easy to make (hey, we can even make these), and delicious (of course). ? These treats couldn't be easier, but they are still WOW-worthy in presentation.

One thing we don't love about Halloween is rotting pumpkins! We are always so excited for the season that we buy and carve our pumpkin too early. ? This year, we found the perfect solution in Pumpkin Parts. The parts stick in the pumpkin... just like a Mr. Potato Head for pumpkins! ? There are 5 different characters, but switch them around for witchy pirates, and piratey skulls. We're never too old for Mr. Pumpkin Head! ? Pumpkin Parts, $9.99, but at local retailers and here.

Last but not least... who to be this year? ? The most popular ideas this year involve the latest headline news and cultural topics. ? Be an Angry Bird, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Rebecca Black (super easy since she wears a black shirt most of the video) or our personal fave,? Princess Beatrice.... Try very, very hard not to feel ridiculously out of touch with fashion. ? Although yours probably won't sell for $130,700 on Ebay, you can make your own fascinator like Princess Beatrice's by following these simple instructions. ? Or buy one if you have $40 to spare. ? "Princess Beatrice hat costume", $40, buy at Headline Costumes.