Makes eight individual lava cakes. The 2009 Tabasco Cook & Ladder Competition Grand Prize Winner, by Tracy Moore of the Minneapolis Fire Department

• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate squares

• 2 sticks unsalted butter

• 4 eggs

•1/2 c. sugar

• 1 tbsp. Tabasco brand Habanero Sauce

• 4 tbsp. unbleached wheat flour

• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• pinch of salt

• 3 tbsp. confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Chop chocolate squares and butter into small cubes; melt in a double boiler, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Grease 8 (4-oz.) ramekins (or a muffin tin, if that is all you have at the station).

In a bowl whisk together 4 eggs and sugar.

Add Tabasco Habanero Sauce to chocolate sauce mixture. Stir chocolate-Tabasco mixture into egg mixture; add flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Stir until blended.

Refrigerate and prepare the jalapeño pepper garnish (details below).

When finished with garnish, pour lava cake batter into ramekins or muffin tins, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake for 13-15 minutes. (The top should be soft in the middle and cake-like on rim) Sprinkle the top with sifted confectioners sugar, top with jalapeño pepper and serve immediately.

JALAPEÑO PEPPER GARNISH:

• 8 red jalapeño peppers

• 1 c. vinegar

• 11/2 c. water (divided)

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 6 cloves

• 1 tsp. ground cardamom

• 1 c. sugar

Slice jalapeño peppers with knife to make an opening, keeping pepper intact. Scrape out seeds and white seams.

Heat an 800-milliliter glass jar in boiling water until warm. Place jalapeño peppers in jar and close jar.

Boil vinegar and a half-cup of water in medium saucepan; add cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom. Remove jar from pan; pour mixture into jar and re-seal jar; set aside for 15 minutes.

Mix one cup of water and sugar in a pan; bring to slow boil. Dip each pickled jalapeño pepper in sugar water; place jalapeño pepper on cake.