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 221-240

  • Binder photo Katherine

    19 June 2012

    Katherine rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo bezann

    15 July 2012

    bezann rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Gorgeous easy and tasty. Did not change anything. I used a muffin tin however coated thickly with the butter and cocoa powder. Worked a treat.

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  • Binder photo Alice123

    16 August 2012

    Alice123 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really good recipe! I too used 6 whole eggs instead of 4 eggs and 4 egg yolks tasted incredibly delicious ( to me any way!) Bit fiddly but then again turned out perfect. Would recommend to try this recipe,thank you Gordon :-)

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  • Binder photo MCaruana

    19 August 2012

    MCaruana rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    OMG ....what a dessert!!!! Left everyone stunned by how good it was and was so professional looking!!! Amazing!!! Simply amazing!!

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  • Binder photo Naima

    27 August 2012

    Naima rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo gio

    31 August 2012

    gio commented on this recipe

    these are to die for! I shake icing sugar on top n serve with gud quality vanilla icecream, mega delish!! always impress guests too ;)

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  • Binder photo aspa

    06 September 2012

    aspa rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    not good enough for me, didnt have the chocolatey flavor i expected. next time will go with my regular fondant recipe.

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  • Binder photo charlie.ruff

    10 September 2012

    charlie.ruff commented on this recipe

    ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I can't recommend this recipe more highly!

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  • Binder photo Jemma Loader

    18 September 2012

    Jemma Loader rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this loads of times, very easy, very tasty!

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  • Binder photo Jessica

    23 September 2012

    Jessica commented on this recipe

    Made the chocolate orange version, served with creme fraiche. Worth the effort as it came out perfect!

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  • Binder photo Owen Yexley

    25 September 2012

    Owen Yexley commented on this recipe

    Loved this recipe. I'm a very inexperienced chef, but wanted to do a nice desert for a dinner party, and this was so simple and came out perfect!

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  • Binder photo Ry.j.true

    06 October 2012

    Ry.j.true rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My wife said she would marry me again after i made this. Thanks a bunch :( haha

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  • Binder photo QWERTREW

    14 October 2012

    QWERTREW commented on this recipe

    I mustered up the confidence to try this recipe for the first time when i had some guests over for dinner. Followed the recipe exactly, and these lovely choco lava cakes turned out perfect! I agree with Gordon's advice on preparing one extra - I was a little anxious and after 10 mins i took them out but the moment I turned one out it collasped on the plate as it wasn't cooked enough yet! So i put it back in the oven and was really glad I made one extra so I didn't have to serve up the failed one!!

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  • Binder photo Happy baker

    18 October 2012

    Happy baker commented on this recipe

    Excellent - tried these and they were great. Question though, I had some of the mix left and placed in the fridge overnight with the idea of re-using the pudding moulds the next day and then freezing for the future...however, the mix 'set' in the fridge overnight. Do I just let it soften and use as before i.e. fill moulds and then freeze ? Any suggestions appreciated..

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  • Binder photo Gayle

    22 October 2012

    Gayle rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This recipe is absolutely amazing!!! I am having a girl's night in a few weeks and decided I want to make them all chocolate fondants. I have never made them before as I thought they were difficult with the timings, etc, however I gave them a trial run over the weekend and all I can say is WOW! I followed the recipe exactly but halved the ingrediants and I got five fondants. I put them into mini pudding moulds. I cooked two for me and my husband and have frozen the other three, so I am yet to see how they cook from frozen. For the chocolate I used Lindt orange intense and added a slug of cointreau. I cooked them at 180c with a fan assisted oven and cooked on the top shelve for exactly 10 minutes and they were cooked to perfection and came straight out of the moulds. Would highly recommend this recipe :)

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  • Binder photo stella

    04 November 2012

    stella commented on this recipe

    When referring to the eggs, is it 4 whole eggs plus another 4 egg yolks? Thanks :)

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  • Binder photo km5291

    12 November 2012

    km5291 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I've made these twice, using half the quantities to make 4 fondants and they are amazing!

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  • Binder photo emmyd89

    28 November 2012

    emmyd89 commented on this recipe

    @stella yep 4 whole eggs and 4 yolks as well. You could always freeze the 4 egg whites for a souffle and pavlova etc or any recipe asking for egg white. They will keep in an airtight container for a month =) LOVE this recipe. After reading the reviews, I had to try this! I halved the ingredients and made 4 as there is only two of us. Froze the spare two. Stick to the timing as you will get a fab result. Lovely gooey centre. Was so pleased! Had the frozen ones tonight (they lasted less than 24 hrs in there haha). The extra 5 mins from frozen works perfectly. Cannot praise enough

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  • Binder photo purplepig

    09 December 2012

    purplepig rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very easy to make and a great success. Will definitely make them again.

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  • Binder photo Gaspar

    09 December 2012

    Gaspar rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Amazing... I don't really know how to cook, but when I prepare this... It lasts 1/2 days... Even if they can be frozen for 1 month... If my guests aren't chocolate fans, I add a bit of cinamon... Once I did it without that much sugar and a friend that doesn't like that much chocolate ate 3... so... Let's do some Magic... and believe me... it's harder to make them happier than dissapear.

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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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