Will you be my Valentine?
Valentine’s Day is here again. Not that I am sending cards or expecting flowers from the hubby, I never do turn down an excuse to bake a sweet dessert for myself. Wink Wink.
This Chocolate Fondant Recipe is as easy as it gets and you can make a delicious, chocolaty treat in just a few minutes. And the best thing, you serve them warm and they have a gooey caramelly middle.
When I ask my husband what we should serve for dessert at a dinner party or what cake he would like me to bake for his birthday – Chocolate Fondant is his answer. Every single time.
It’s that good and it is that easy. You can of course experiment with flavors and toppings. I once poured cognac over each cake and lit it on fire – not only was that a wow factor at the table, it was super yummy.
TIP:
You can also make these in advance and serve them hot at a dinner party. Simply follow all the steps but instead of baking them right away, keep them ready in ramekins in the fridge.
PS: If you do not have time to make the salty caramel sauce, simply leave it out. (But if I were you, I’d make it. It’s soooo delicious!)
Recipe: Chocolate Fondant
Makes 4If you do not have time to make the salty caramel sauce, simply leave it out.
Ingredients
- 50 g (3 1/2 tbsp) plus more for Ramekins Butter
- Cocoa, for dusting ramekins
- 50 g (1 3/4 oz) 70% Chocolate
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 60 g (2 tbsp) Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Grand Mariner or Tia Maria
- 50 g (4 tbsp) Flour
- Dollop Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe below)
Directions
- Heat the oven to 160°C (350°F)
- Butter 4 Ramekins and place them in the fridge for 10 minutes. Butter them again and dust with cocoa powder. Place in the fridge again.
- Melt butter and chocolate together over water bath. Stir together and let cool slightly.
- Whisk egg, egg yolk and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a thin stream, add the chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs while whisking constantly.
- Add liqueur. Stir.
- Sift the flour and gently fold together with the "dough".
- Divide half of the dough into the 4 cold ramekins, add a dollop of salted caramel sauce and then cover with remaining dough.
- Bake for 10 minutes. When you take the cakes out of the oven, run a sharp knife along the edges and immediately turn them on a plate.
- Serve the cakes while hot and while the middle is still runny.
- Top with ice cream, freshly whipped cream and/or berries.
Recipe: Salted Caramel Sauce
Makes quite a lot, but you can keep it in the fridge for few weeks.Ingredients
- 3.5 dl (1 1/2 cups) Sugar
- 125 g (1 stick + 1 tbsp) Butter
- 2 dl (3/4 cups) Heavy Cream
- 1 tbsp. Salt
- 1 tbsp. Bourbon
Directions
- In a heavy saucepan melt the sugar slowly. You want it amber golden and around 150°C (300°F). Be careful it burns at a blink of an eye
- Add the butter all at once and stir until melted and well blended with the sugar
- Remove from heat and slowly add the heavy cream
- Add the salt and bourbon
- Cool, and pour into sterilized jars
