How to make the perfect chocolate fondant
This blog first appeared on Food24
A chocolate fondant is the heavenly concoction of partially baked chocolate pudding with a warm oozing chocolate filling, also known as a chocolate lava cake. Perfect for dinner parties because they can be made ahead of time, but also the downfall of many cooking show hopefuls. The chocolate must be oozy but not SO oozy that it collapses when you unmold it!
The art of these is to get the length of cooking time just right and there are a few variables
Ramekins and dariole molds
The chocolate pots can be baked in any kind of individual oven proof container, depending on what you have at hand. Ramekins are ceramic and have an insulating quality (the heat penetrates a lot slower than a metal mold). Dariole molds are metal and conduct the heat to the contents much more quickly. So, if you are using a ramekin your oven time might be slightly longer than with a dariole mold.
Oven temperature
The oven temperature also determines how quickly the fondants will cook. Use a hot oven (220°C) so that the outside cooks quickly before the inside has a chance to set.
Refrigeration
These beauties can be made ahead of time, and kept in the fridge or freezer until ready to cook. If you are cooking from frozen they will take a little longer to get hot all through. Refrigeration allows them to remain cooler in the middle preventing them from cooking through and leaving the center molten.
Time in oven
The cooking time should be about 8 minutes for a room temperature pot or 12 minutes for a refrigerated one, but this might vary slightly depending on your oven, what kind of mold you used and if the fondants were refrigerated before cooking. I recommend you test one beforehand to optimize the time that works best for your fondants.
Stand before removing mold
Once you remove them from the oven leave them to stand for about 30 seconds before unmolding onto your plate. This allows them to become slightly more stable so that they don’t break open during unmolding.
Chocolate quality
The taste of these is largely decided by the quality of the chocolate. Use the best quality dark chocolate you can for the best results.
Light and fluffy egg (no baking powder)
The reason these keep so well in the fridge or freezer is because they don’t contain any baking powder, the only thing that adds to their fluffiness is the egg in the mixture.
Greasing your mould
Prepare your moulds by greasing them with a little butter and then place a tablespoon of castor sugar in the mold, shake it all about and tip out the excess. This allows for better crust formation and easier unmolding.
Very little flour
My recipe below uses gluten free flour but it works just a well with cake flour.
Top tip freeze whites
Egg whites can be frozen for up to a year if place in the plastic container. Remember to label the number of whites in the container and the date.
The Perfect Chocolate Fondant
Ingredients
- 120 g butter
- 120 g dark chocolate best quality
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 60 ml castor sugar
- 45 ml gluten free flour or cake flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C, prepare 4 molds by buttering them and dusting a little castor sugar in them; tip out any excess.
- In the microwave (or in a double boiler) melt the butter and chocolate together. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, yolks and castor sugar until light and creamy in colour. Fold in the chocolate and sieve in the flour, gently folding in to prevent knocking the air out.
- Divide between the 4 molds and place in the fridge until needed.
- Bake for 8 minutes (if baking straight away) or 12 minutes (if cold) until the outer edges are set. Carefully loosen the edges from the mold with a sharp knife. Place the serving plate upside down on the top of the mold and invert. Leave to stand for 30 seconds before removing the mold. Serve with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche.