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 9.0g, carbohydrate 52.0g, fat 40.0 g, saturated fat 21.0g, fibre 0.0g, sugar 30.0g, salt 0.55 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 41-60

  • Binder photo ilovecheescake

    10 February 2009

    ilovecheescake commented on this recipe

    May sound like a silly questions, but what size ramekins do you use? I only have some quite small ones I got free with some 'GU' desserts!

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  • Binder photo EmSmith

    12 February 2009

    EmSmith commented on this recipe

    Not sure that Gordon would approve of the twee-ness....but am going to make these in my heart-shaped ramekins for Valentine's Day. I've had bad luck with chocolate fondants in the past but this recipe sounds fab. Can't wait to try it out!

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  • Binder photo beth

    13 February 2009

    beth commented on this recipe

    definitely one worth trying, and dont forget to cook a trial one just in case! put some in the freezer and they were great for just pulling out when i wanted them

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  • Binder photo Orson Cart

    14 February 2009

    Orson Cart commented on this recipe

    I have made this reciepe on three separate occasions now and each time it has been a runaway success with my guests. I found the reciepe was very easy to follow, and to get the timing right was no problem, simply pop in the oven when the main course has been cleared away and you have toped up your guests glasses, then plate up and serve. This has got to be a 10 out of 10 reciepe

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  • Binder photo Angel Bury

    15 February 2009

    Angel Bury commented on this recipe

    I cooked this recipe and was VERY careful about the temperature of my oven BUT I ended up cooking my fondants for 30 minutes (twice that of the recipe) and they turned out under-done, collaping in a gooey liquid mess. Still delicious though. I used sillicone moulds, would this have an effect on the cooking times?

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  • Binder photo sal

    15 February 2009

    sal rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    chocaholic dream and suprisingly easy to make, made for valentines meal, lots left over to make for the kids, who loved it, great dairy free alternative if you use soya butter.

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  • Binder photo Kellie

    15 February 2009

    Kellie commented on this recipe

    Oh. My. God. That was fantastic! So easy to do and tasted gorgeous. You'd be daft to ignore this one!!

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  • Binder photo Kate

    15 February 2009

    Kate commented on this recipe

    this looks so good it's unreal. i will try it as soon as possible!

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  • Binder photo cakeanyone?

    16 February 2009

    cakeanyone? commented on this recipe

    BRILLIANT!! Made these yesterday and were by far the nicest fondants, and the easiest to make, that I've tried so far. I was only cooking for 4 so halved the quantities and made 5 fondants using small (100ml) fondant tins. Cooked for 12 mins exactly and they were perfect. The spare one even stayed gooey inside ready to be heated up in the microwave as an evening snack hours later!

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  • Binder photo cakeanyone?

    16 February 2009

    cakeanyone? rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Sorry, forgot to rate!

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  • Binder photo shaunio h

    21 February 2009

    shaunio h rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    The best fondant ever! Made them for Valentine's and they went down very well - have a stash in the freezer ready to go!

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  • Binder photo SamanthaH

    21 February 2009

    SamanthaH rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Amazing! As delicious as they are easy to make!

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  • Binder photo michellecchan

    28 February 2009

    michellecchan rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Beautiful. My boyfriend made this, we halved the ingredients as we were making for the two of us, ended up with four dessert and now we are glad as it means we get to have two more tomorrow. Went perfectly, followed the recipe and it was lovely. Defo having it again.

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  • Binder photo cakeanyone?

    02 March 2009

    cakeanyone? commented on this recipe

    I've just made these again after freezing them first - I got scared and took them out of the oven after only an extra 4 mins and they collapsed slightly so definitely need to stick to the full 5 minutes (my oven is particularly hot and I made them in 100ml fondant tins)

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  • Binder photo Kerry Forrest

    03 March 2009

    Kerry Forrest rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This is an excellent recipe although mine took slightly longer to cook - about 15 minutes - but because I made an extra one I was able to test that one and leave the others in the oven. The recipe was easy to follow and they came out of the dishes very easily. I served mine with cream whipped with disaronno. I warmed my spare one up in the microwave and ate it the next day - it was still delicious!

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  • Binder photo CHARLIE

    07 March 2009

    CHARLIE commented on this recipe

    have never made fondants before and found them relatively easy,made them for a dinner party were a huge success with my guests

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  • Binder photo Ellie-Gwen

    15 March 2009

    Ellie-Gwen commented on this recipe

    Seriously easy and devilishly tasty, one to definately make again!

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  • Binder photo Sallyc

    21 March 2009

    Sallyc rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This has become my fail safe 'impressive dinner party dessert'. Doesn't take very long as all and although I was nervous the first time I cooked them as long as you time them exactly they will be foolproof. Don't be tempted to leave them in the oven any longer than 12 mins as they won't be gooey in the middle. I made that mistake the first time I cooked them and they turned into choc sponge but everyone still loved them.

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  • Binder photo SamanthaH

    21 March 2009

    SamanthaH commented on this recipe

    I seriously make these at least 3 times a week... my family and I never ever ever get sick of them. I love this recipe!

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  • Binder photo EmSmith

    27 March 2009

    EmSmith rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Yep. Followed the recipe to the letter and they were just perfect. Had one spare so put in the freezer and it worked just as well a few days later. Just amazing!

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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 9.0g, carbohydrate 52.0g, fat 40.0 g, saturated fat 21.0g, fibre 0.0g, sugar 30.0g, salt 0.55 g

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