Classic but always adored, chocolate fondant is often an impressive dessert because of its warm and melting centre. My uncle is a chef, and at his restaurant “le Bretagne” he used to give me and my cousin about 10 frozen fondants a month for us to eat whilst we were at university. We would just take the fondant out of the freezer, put it in the microwave for a few minutes, and it would be absolute heaven! These sea salt caramel chocolate fondants are inspired by him and Brittany, where the renowned “fleur de sel” salt is from.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
For the Sea Salt Caramel
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 200ml double cream
- 80g salted butter, diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (fleur de sel)
For the chocolate fondant
- 4 medium eggs
- 80g caster sugar
- 50g plain flour, sifted
- 100g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cacao)
- 100g unsalted butter
20g butter, for greasing
2 tablespoons flour, for greasing
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Method
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1To make the sea salt caramel, add the sugar and water to a saucepan and heat over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes. When the colour is a nice golden caramel, remove from the heat. Carefully pour in the cream – this should create some bubbles – and mix using a silicone spatula. Finish the caramel by adding the butter and the sea salt and then leave to cool.
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2Preheat the oven to 230C/ 210 Fan/ Gas Mark 8.
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3Make the chocolate batter by whisking the eggs and sugar energetically for at least 3 minutes until it forms a nice light foamy mix. Incorporate the flour slowly and set aside.
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4Using a microwave (for 2 minutes at 600W) or a bain-marie, melt the chocolate and the butter together in a bowl. Once the chocolate and butter have cooled down for a few minutes, add to the foamy egg, sugar and flour mix and gently stir until you get a silky glossy batter.
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5Grease the Le Creuset Stoneware Stackable Ramekins with butter and then coat with some flour. Divide the chocolate fondant batter between 4 ramekins and pour 1 tablespoon of the sea salt caramel in the middle.
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6Bake for 8-10 minutes, leaving to cool for 1 minute before serving.
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7Cook’s Notes
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8These are not only super quick to make, but you can also keep them in the freezer for up to a year. Simply cover with cling film and set in the fridge before placing into the freezer. It is an absolute lifesaver when you have last minute guests and no dessert ready. Just pop them in the oven for 15 minutes from frozen – no one would guess they are pre-prepared!
