- 8 ounces (1 stick) butter, plus more for the ramekins
- 3/4 cup flour, plus more for the ramekins
- 1 cup fine sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons rum (or Tia Maria)
- 2 tablespoons strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup ground cacao (high-quality cocoa)
- 4 pears, peeled and diced (optional)
- Vanilla Sauce (recipe follows)
- Chocolate bar or chocolate-covered coffee beans
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 8 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons fine sugar
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Butter and flour 10 ramekins and set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar to a soft cream. Add eggs, beating them in one at a time. Add rum and coffee. Sift flour, baking powder, and cacao into a bowl, then incorporate this into the butter mixture. Gently fold in the pears, if using. Pour into the prepared ramekins, filling halfway. Bake in a bain-marie by placing ramekins in a baking dish and filling it halfway with boiling water. Bake for 10 minutes, then increase temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until set, about 15 minutes.
- Unmold onto individual plates or simply serve in the ramekins. Spoon vanilla sauce over the cakes, and garnish with curls of chocolate (use a vegetable peeler) or chocolate-covered coffee beans.
- Heat the cream and vanilla pod to boiling, then quickly reduce heat. In a separate bowl, thoroughly beat together the yolks and sugar. Using a wooden spoon, stir the eggs into the cream and continue cooking on low, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until mixture slightly thickens and coats the spoon.