Crave’s Chocolate Fondant Recipe

It’s time to throw ourselves into a festive mood and get ready to welcome a new year. A perennial crowd-pleaser, chocolate really shines in this simple fondant recipe by Crave. Make it the star of your table for a truly indulgent treat.

Ingredients

• 200g butter, melted
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder, for dusting
• 50g caramel sauce
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 4 tbsp very strong coffee powder (espresso is ideal)
• 6 eggs (three whole eggs, plus the yolks of 3), (freeze the leftover egg whites for another recipe)
• 75g golden caster sugar
• 50g plain flour
• 6 small metal pudding basins

Instructions

1. Use 50g of the butter to brush the insides of the pudding/baking cups. Put them on a baking tray and place in the fridge to chill until the butter sets. Brush over another layer of the butter, then dust generously with the cocoa.
2. Return to the fridge to set. Mix the caramel sauce with a good pinch of sea salt flakes, then chill in the fridge until ready to use.
3. Put the remaining butter, the chocolate and coffee powder into a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir the mixture until smooth, adding another small pinch of sea salt.
4. Add the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar into another bowl and beat together using an electric whisk until very pale – the whisk should leave a trail in the mixture when lifted. Sift in the flour, then gently fold in the melted chocolate mixture.
5. Spoon the fondant mixture into the prepared cups until just about halfway full, then transfer to the freezer on a baking tray for about 20-25 mins, or until the mixture is just set.
6. Add 1 tsp of the salted caramel sauce to the middle of each fondant, then top up with the remaining fondant mixture. Return to the freezer until frozen. Can be prepared up to two weeks ahead.
7. Heat the oven to 180 ^oC / 200 ^oC if a fan oven, or gas mark 6. Put the fondants on a baking tray and bake for 15 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of the cups.
8. Remove from the oven, then leave to rest for 1 min before turning out onto warm plates. Sprinkle with extra sea salt, then serve straight away.

More recipes by Crave