Volcanoes Recipes

HOT MEXICAN VOLCANOES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine condensed milk and chocolate and cook over low heat until chocolate melts. Transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, line 15 muffin pan cups with foil-and-paper liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, instant coffee, cinnamon, and either chili powder or cayenne.
• Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat in water and whole egg. Increase speed to medium and beat about 2 minutes more.
• To make meringue, clean beaters thoroughly, then beat egg whites until foamy in a clean, nonreactive (glass or ceramic) bowl.
• Gradually beat in sugar until stiff and glossy.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
• Remove chocolate mixture from refrigerator and wrap about 1 teaspoo of the mixture around each macadamia nut, shaping it into a ball. Set aside.
• Fill muffin cups 2/3 full of cake batter. Spoon 1 heaping TB of meringue on top, making sure meringue extends all the way to paper liners and no batter is exposed. Place a chocolate ball in exact center of meringue; do not push inches.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the side of a cupcake comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool in pans on rack, then carefully loosen meringue with tip of sharp knife and remove cakes from pans. Place on wire racks set over wax paper and cool completely.
• In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, cocoa, vanilla and enough milk to make a glaze of drizzling consistency. Spoon glaze on top of meringue, letting it drip down sides, and serve.

VOLCANOES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375°F.
• Punch down and flatten the dough on a smooth, dry countertop. Use a dough cutter to divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Use your fingers to gently stretch each piece of dough out into a mini pizza about 6 inches wide.
• Divide the onions equally among the rounds, plopping them in the center. Grab the scalloped potatoes from the fridge and cut into four 3-inch squares. Use an offset spatula to wrestle each square of potato gratin out of the baking pan and onto a dough round, directly on top of the onions.
• Take the edges of each dough round and pinch together to seal so that there is no speck of onion or potato in sight, then gently roll the ball between the palms of your hands to ensure the volcano has a nice, round, dinner roll-y shape. Arrange the volcanoes, seam side down, 5 inches apart on a parchment-or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
• Whisk the egg and water together and brush a generous coat of egg wash on the buns. Use a paring knife to cut a 1-inch-long X in the top of each volcano. Divide the Gruyère evenly among the volcanoes, stuffing it into the X in each one.
• Bake the volcanoes for 25 minutes, or until the dough is a deep, golden brown and the Gruyère cheese on top is caramelized. They are best served warm; allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before digging in. If you're saving a couple of volcanoes for later, let them cool, wrap them well in plastic, and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days; warm them in the oven before eating.