Dinner à Deux: Hot Chocolate Fondants

 

What’s not to like? A combination of slightly crisp chocolate exterior and an oozy chocolate centre, all served with a blob of crème fraiche and a dusting of cocoa. Chocolate heaven. Unless you don’t like chocolate, and then I’m afraid you’re reading the wrong page: move on. And better still, they’re prepare ahead and freezer-proof- complete no-brainier desserts. It’s all about the timing, that’s all.

This is a BBC Good Food recipe and it seems to work really well; here’s a link if you want to see it

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8168/chocolate-fondant

 

Ingredients:

8 mini pudding moulds or ramekins ( I find the metal pudding moulds give the best results)

50g melted butter, for brushing
cocoa powder, for dusting
200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
200g butter, in small pieces
200g golden caster sugar
4 eggs and 4 yolks
200g plain flour

Method: 

Carefully prepare the moulds to prevent sticking: brush the melted butter over inside and place in the fridge for 5 minutes. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa out.

Place the chocolate and butter in  a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.

In a separate bowl whisk the whole eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail. Sift the flour into the eggs, then beat together.

Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture a third at a time, beating well, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.

Tip the batter into a jug, and evenly divide between the moulds.

Freeze at this stage

Place the fondants on a baking tray into a preheated oven at 200c, then cook for 9 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their moulds. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 1 minute, loosen with a sharp knife and turn out onto serving plates. Dust with icing sugar and add a spoonful of creme fraiche or ice cream on the side. Serve immediately before the centres solidify.