Chocolate fondant

Chocolate fondant

A gooey prepare-ahead dessert that's perfect for entertaining - it's all a matter of timing...

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Makes 9 fondants

Preparation and cooking times

Cook time

Cook 15 mins

Prep 45 mins plus chilling
Freezable

Can be frozen uncooked

Method

  1. First get your moulds ready. Using upward strokes, heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge or freezer. 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 back into the jar, then repeat with 1 the next mould.
  2. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift the flour into the eggs, then beat together.
  4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.
  5. Tip the fondant batter into a jug, then evenly divide between the moulds. The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. Chill for at least 20 mins or up to the night before. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 mins more to the cooking time.
  6. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 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, then leave to sit for 1 min before turning out.
  7. Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the moulds. Tip each fondant slightly onto your hand so you know it has come away, then tip back into the mould ready to plate up.
  8. Starting from the middle of each plate, squeeze a spiral of caramel sauce - do all the plates you need before you go on to the next stage.
  9. Sit a fondant in the middle of each plate. Using a large spoon dipped in hot water, scoop a 'quenelle' of ice cream.
  10. Carefully place the ice cream on top of the fondant, then serve immediately. Repeat with the rest of the fondants.
Try

Tins or ramekins?

As we make the fondants in such great volumes in my restaurants we use disposable 150ml aluminium muffin tins, but ramekins work just as well. The cooking times I have given here are for ramekins but if you want to use the muffin tins then 10 mins in the oven will be fine.

9 puddings for 8 guests

If you are making the fondants for a dinner party I would advise you cook one extra as an 'insurance policy' that you can test for doneness. If everything goes according to plan I'm sure there will be no shortage of guests wanting second helpings.

Variations

Once you have mastered the fondants it's very easy to adapt their flavour. For a boozy version add a generous splash of Baileys to the melted chocolate. You can also make a chocolate and orange version by adding the finely grated zest of 1 large orange and an optional splash of orange liqueur.

PER SERVING

581 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 52g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 0g, sugar 30g, salt 0.55 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 21-40

  • Binder photo Hannah

    01 December 2008

    Hannah commented on this recipe

    This recipe is FABULOUS! i recommend it to everyone as it is much easier than it looks, as it worked for me first time round. All my friends now think im an amazing cook...mission accomplished!! p.s Tastes amazing with posh vanilla ice cream

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  • Binder photo Babs from Granada

    10 December 2008

    Babs from Granada rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made these last night for the first time for a couple of friends. I found them very easy to make and the timing was spot on. Preparing the moulds was a bit fiddly but it was worth ithe time as they came out of the mould very easily. When my guests started to eat, the room went silent, then the coments came. one guest said it was the best desert they had ever eaten, the other said it was better than sex. A real WOW

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  • Binder photo daisymoll

    13 December 2008

    daisymoll rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    These were very nice, and work well cooking after you have made them ahead, but make sure you don't overcook them or there will be no gooey centre!!

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  • Binder photo Jen

    17 December 2008

    Jen rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    oh my goodness these are delicious and they keep brilliantly in the freezer. Will be making these again!

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  • Binder photo holylemming

    25 December 2008

    holylemming rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made these for the first time yesterday, they turned out absolutely perfect, they were soooo delicious i couldn't quite believe I'd made them. Will definitely be trying the chocolate orange versions soon. Thanks!

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  • Binder photo Lynndie

    01 January 2009

    Lynndie commented on this recipe

    im making these saturday for friends i just had to say to cathy why dosnt she use egg yolks like gordon says and just make merangue out of the left over whites and keep in the freezer, no need for waste then and you can stick to the recipe.

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  • Binder photo blossom favs

    02 January 2009

    blossom favs rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    wow these are absoltely gorgeous! and simple to do too

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  • Binder photo Norma

    02 January 2009

    Norma commented on this recipe

    Worked quite well and was easier than I expected. The sponge wasn't quite as light as I thought it might be. Do you think a little baking powder might help ?

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  • Binder photo Norma

    02 January 2009

    Norma rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Joyce Appleton

    07 January 2009

    Joyce Appleton rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was brilliant! Made ahead for Christmas lunch. Everyone loved it. A fight for the extra one! I made pavlova with the extra egg whites so no waste. Will use again for dinner parties.

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  • Binder photo little-cook

    11 January 2009

    little-cook commented on this recipe

    wow acording to people s comments im gonna make them on my mums birthday.. i hope its as easy as they say it is ... well its practis for 6 form university and colage although i am only 12

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  • Binder photo Jane

    18 January 2009

    Jane rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made these back in November and was so surprised that they came out perfect. I have never attempted them before as they always seemed so difficult. I have since made them many more times and ech time they have turned out perfectly - brilliant recipe! Thank you.

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  • Binder photo Graziella

    18 January 2009

    Graziella commented on this recipe

    Absolutely Amazing!!!! Thank you Good Food!!!!!

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  • Binder photo Tracy

    19 January 2009

    Tracy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Friends for dinner, followed the recipe exactly - its so quick and easy and impressive every time, even with a rubbish oven that bakes one sided cakes! prepared in advance too, so did�nt spend all eve in kitchen. yum!

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  • Binder photo debbie

    23 January 2009

    debbie commented on this recipe

    I have just made these and have put them in the fridge for tomorrow night when I have 4 people over for dinner. So far so good so I hope they cook well tomorrow.

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  • Binder photo Debbie

    24 January 2009

    Debbie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    The children saw them on Master Chef and wanted to try them. As I've never made them before I was convinced they would not work. Boy was I wrong! They were easy to make, tasted fantastic and were nice and gooey inside. The kids loved them and I will make them again.

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  • Binder photo Maartje

    26 January 2009

    Maartje commented on this recipe

    Stick to the instructions about preparing the ramkins! This way they'll come out perfectly, every single time!

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  • Binder photo Hannah Day

    29 January 2009

    Hannah Day commented on this recipe

    I made this for my GCSE catering exam. It went perfectly and i got top marks =D I would deffo reccomend this to anyone because its an easy and delicious desert to make =P Hannah Day xx

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  • Binder photo Dee

    04 February 2009

    Dee commented on this recipe

    AMAZING!!! made these for our xmas dessert and all 12 people loved them every plate empty going to try it wi milk chocolate instead of dark becoz does get abit sickly!!!! but still LOVE IT!!!! xxxx

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  • Binder photo Nicki

    07 February 2009

    Nicki commented on this recipe

    Made these for an adult dinner! However, when the kids smelt what was coming from the kitchen it became dinner for 9 as opposed to 4. Good job Gordon says the recipe makes 9 fondants because there would have been tears. These are as good as any top restaurant would serve and easy to make. If you're a chocoholic you'll definitely be making these again and again.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Makes 9 fondants

Preparation and cooking times

Cook time

Cook 15 mins

Prep 45 mins plus chilling
Freezable

Can be frozen uncooked

Ingredients

  • 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
  • Caramel sauce (see 'Goes well with') and vanilla ice cream or orange sorbet, to serve
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PER SERVING

581 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 52g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 0g, sugar 30g, salt 0.55 g

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