Gingerbread Pudding Cakes with Nutmeg Sauce

Ingredients for the Gingerbread Pudding Cakes:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided (plus extra for the ramekins)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. fresh grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 cup hot coffee
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup boiling water

Ingredients the Nutmeg Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Ingredients for Serving:

• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare pudding cakes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 6 (6-ounce) ramekins. In small bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Stir to blend. Place about 2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar in bottom of each buttered ramekin Shake ramekin to cover bottom and sides of dish with sugar. Set ramekins aside.
2. In medium bowl, add remaining cinnamon, flour, ginger, soda, allspice, salt and nutmeg. Stir with fork to blend. Set aside. In work bowl of mixer add dark brown sugar and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Mix on medium to blend. Add egg, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix on medium to blend. In small bowl, add molasses and hot coffee. Stir to blend. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix on low speed to blend. Add half of molasses coffee mixture. Mix on low to blend. Add second 1/3 of flour and mix to blend. Add remaining molasses coffee mixture. Mix on low to blend. Add remaining flour mixture and mix on low to blend. Turn off mixer.
3. Place equal amount of batter into each ramekin (about a heaping half cup per ramekin). Sprinkle equal amount of light brown sugar on top of batter in each ramekin. In small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons butter with boiling water. Stir until butter is melted. Pour equal amount to water butter mixture on top of brown sugar in each ramekin. Set ramekins on baking sheet. Bake pudding cakes 20 to 25 minutes or until top is crusted and centers of cakes are set, yet spongy to the touch. Remove cakes from oven. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
4. While pudding cakes are cooling, make nutmeg sauce. In medium saucepan, add water, sugars, cornstarch, lemon juice, nutmeg, vanilla and salt. Stir ingredients to blend. Turn heat to high and bring sauce to boil while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook sauce, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove sauce from the heat. Add butter and stir sauce until butter is melted and well mixed with sauce. Add heavy cream to and stir to blend. Set sauce aside.
5. Serve cakes hot or warm with generous serving of nutmeg sauce and scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.