I used to make fun of people who had sh*t like ramekins in their kitchens. Time is a funny thing, though, huh? I’m a home-baked loaf of bread away from being the person I hated in college.

I’m kind of okay with that, though—my undergrad diet of popcorn, canned soup, and bad wine wasn’t exactly high in mood-boosting foods. Chocolate, however, is near the top of the feel-good food list, and if ramekins make that chocolate intake possible, who cares how much that chick in your [fill in the blank] class annoyed you back in the day? It’s totally possible some of that rage was induced by low blood sugar and a refusal to believe that you too would eventually grow up to become addicted to talk radio. Ignore the sound of NPR in the background…

On Sunday night, I dusted off a couple ramekins and made Chris and I each a mini chocolate cake in preparation for a heavy reading session. He’s got exams this week, and I just started a book on how not to be a hypochondriac. Good times.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 3-4 T almond milk
• 1 tsp coconut oil (canola would work too)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet and stir until well combined.
3. Pour mixture into 2 small ramekins and bake until outsides are set but middle is still moist—about 15 minutes*.
4. Serve warm, with a small scoop of yogurt or ice cream.

*Makes 2 small cakes or one bigger one. A bigger one may take a few minutes longer.

Nutrition Information (Per Cake): 165 calories; 8.5 grams total fat (7 g saturated, from coconut oil); 22 g total carbohydrate; 2.5 g fiber; 3 g protein; 5% calcium; 10% iron

These were pretty good, if I do say so myself—not too sweet, a little bit gooey without being under-baked, and very satisfying. This totally puts microwave popcorn to shame.