There are so many things that can go wrong when making this gorgeous desert. The tricky bit is trying to get the inside smooth so that it runs out when you cut the fondant open. Oddly enough, the first time I ever tried making them, they turned out quite well, and I had a real masterchef moment where I cut my first fondant open and the chocolate inside was smooth and ran out nicely. What a fine moment that was! Hopefully this simple recipe will give you the same result and you can enjoy a lovely warm, soft chocolate fondant.
Prep time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: makes 4 fondants
You will also need: Ramkins/ fondant cases/ moulds, baking tray, mixing bowls and various mixing tools.
1. The first thing you need to do is get your moulds ready. Using upwards strokes coat the inside of each mould heavily with butter, covering the inside generously. Once all moulds have been coated, place them in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes, take them out and brush more melted butter over the chilled butter.
2. Add a spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so that the powder completely coats the butter and tap any excess back into the cocoa pot or the next mould case.
3. Repeat this for all moulds, and they are now ready.
4. Add 100g of good-quality chocolate chopped into small pieces into a bowl. Then add 100g of butter in small pieces. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and slowly melt the chocolate and butter together.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until it is smooth. Leave this mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
6. In another bowl, whisk 2 eggs with their yolks together with 100g of caster sugar until the mixture is thick and pale. Sift 100g of plain flour into the eggs and beat together.
7. Add the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture slowly in thirds. In between each addition, beat the mixture well.
8. When all the chocolate is added, and the mixture is completely combined, beat until a loose cake batter is formed.
9. Evenly divide the batter between the moulds and slowly tip the mixture into each. It is likely they won’t be filled to the top but that is ok because a fondant shouldn’t be too big!
10. Heat the oven to 200C/fan, 180C/gas 6. Place the filled moulds on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the tops of the fondants have formed a crust and they appear to be coming away from the sides of their moulds. Remove from the oven, leave them to sit for about a minute and then loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently easing them out of the moulds (I like to use a blunt knife to loosen them).
11. Repeat for all fondants. Tip each fondant out on to a plate to prepare to serve.
12. Once plated up, add a quenelle of vanilla ice cream to the top, and a sauce such as raspberry coulis or caramel sauce to the plate and you can even cut open the fondant to let the inside run out. Plating up and presentation is completely up to your imagination so be creative!
And there you have it, a simple recipe for a successful chocolate fondant! Try it out!
Love Nimisha
xoxo
