Molten Chocolate Rosemary Cakes

If you think about it in advance, put the sugar in a sealed jar with the rosemary an hour or two before you want to make this.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease four 1-cup ovenproof ramekins.

In a coffee grinder or mini Cuisinart (disclosure — Cuisinart sent me a free mini Cuisinart as a Blogher Food ‘09 attendee), grind the leaves from the rosemary and the sugar until the rosemary is fairly finely chopped (you can remove any remaining unchopped pieces manually). Set aside.

Combine the chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each bout, until the butter and chocolate are melted and combined.

Beat the eggs with the rosemary sugar until pale yellow. Add the flour and beat to incorporate. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir until the mixture is incorporated.

Divide the batter among the ramekins and bake until the top is set but the inside is still liquid, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm. Pour cold cream into the puddings if desired.