try it tuesday

You know when you're craving chocolate and you don't have any in the house? Except for maybe a jar of cocoa among your baking supplies, but who wants to make brownies from scratch at 9 p.m.?

Work friend A recently forwarded along this tasty-looking recipe that she found on Soap Queen. And it might change your life.

Individual Microwave Chocolate Cakes

2 T flour
1.5 T sugar (just eyeball the 1/2 T using a tablespoon)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
2 T milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp oil

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl (like a cereal bowl). Scrape batter into a mug sprayed with cooking spray. Microwave on full power for 1 minute. Marvel at your creation. Loosen with a knife and tip onto plate.

This is Soap Queen's photo, since my computer and my camera are still not on speaking terms.

We ate ours out of the dishes I cooked (can you say "cooked" about something that spent one minute in the microwave?) them in, with a scoop of cookie dough ice cream on top (lovey friend A had hers without ice cream). And the verdict? A gave hers a 5 out of 10. It was a bit dry. Maybe I have a hotter than average microwave? Next time I might cook them for 55 seconds.

Husband and lovely friend T really all liked theirs, so I think the ice cream helped. I also thought it was dry, but when it comes down to it, beggars can't be choosers, and if I'm having a chocolate craving, this is about as easy as it gets. Total time, including preparation, cooking and eating = 10 minutes.