Chocolate Fondant

This decadent chocolate dessert is perfect for entertaining, as it can be made ahead of time.  They will sit happily in the fridge overnight, awaiting your dinner party and you can add whatever flavorings you wish such as Cointreau, orange peel or others, in you feel the need to jazz it up.

INGREDIENTS:

• 50 g (4 T.) melted butter, for brushing
• cocoa powder, for dusting
• 200 g (1 c.) dark chocolate chips, best quality, such as Ghiardelli
• 200 g (12 T.) butter, chopped into small pieces
• 200 g (1 c.) golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 200 g (1 c.) flour

Directions

1. Using upward strokes, heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of eight creme brulee molds. Place them into the fridge or freezer. Once they are chilled, brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mold. Tip the mold so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa out, and then repeat with all of the molds.
2. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove bowl from heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about ten minutes.
3. In a stand mixer bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail. Sift the flour into the eggs, and 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. Then evenly divide between the molds. These can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen (add 5 minutes to cook time, if cooking from frozen). If not freezing, chill for a minimum of 20 minutes or up to 24 hours
6. Heat the oven to 400F/200C.
7. Place the fondants on a baking tray then cook for 10-12 minutes until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their molds. Remove from the oven, and then let them sit for 1 minute before turning out.
8. Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the molds. Tip each one slightly onto your hand so you know that it has come away, then tip back into the mold, put a plate on top and turn it over.
9. Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.