All you need is love…and cake.

(recipe below)

When my six-year-old asked what I was making for dessert tonight I said, “It’s I Love You S’more Cake.” He smiled a huge grin and said, “No, I love you s’more!”  {Love that kid}

Tonight is what we call “Family Home Evening”. We gather together as a family and have a spiritual thought, play a game or activity, and enjoy a treat.

Daddy was in charge of the spiritual thought tonight. He shared a verse from Matthew, and talked about having faith and trust in our Savior.

I was in charge of the activity.  We made a Secret Love Notes Mailbox.

I found this at the dollar section of Target last week. The boys each got a side to decorate. I cut a slot in the top for us to put love notes in to each other for the next two weeks.

{We will open it on Valentine’s Day and read our love notes to each other.}

Then we ate “ I love you s’more cake.”

Let me warn you, this cake is really rich. Even for a chocolate LOVER like me—I had to pace myself.

S’more Cake (or Hot Chocolate Cake)

recipe adapted from RealSimple.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for coating
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used almost 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Generously butter, and sugar eight 6-ounce coffee cups or mugs made of ovenproof stoneware. Shake out excess. Wipe the rims clean. (I used ramekins instead)
2. Place the 8 tablespoons of butter and the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
3. Using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar at the highest speed until the volume doubles and the mixture becomes foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir the 3 tablespoons of flour into the chocolate, then gradually add it to the egg mixture, beating on low until it's fully incorporated.
4. Ladle the batter into each cup until it's about 1/2 inch from the rim. Bake until the cakes puff and begin to crack but the centers are still a bit runny, 13 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven.
5. *Sprinkle with marshmallows, then return to oven for 2 to 4 minutes, until the marshmallow tops begin to crisp. Remove from oven; let cool about 5 minutes. Sift the cocoa on top.

*To make them the “Love you S’more” Cake, in step five I sprinkled crushed Graham Crackers on the top, then topped them with heart shaped marshmallows.

Then I returned them to the oven for five minutes to get the marshmallows nice and toasty.

Now that’s a dish of love ; )