Duncans Perfect Chocolate Fondants Recipes

CHOCOLATE FONDANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Butter and flour a large 4-cup muffin tin.
• Melt butter and semisweet chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat; stir until smooth and shiny, about 3 minutes.
• Mix 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar and flour together in a bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add butter-chocolate mixture gradually; stir until well combined. Pour evenly into the prepared muffin cups; add a candy kiss in the center of each one, making sure it is covered by the chocolate mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until mostly set but still runny in the center, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool before eating, about 10 minutes.

DUNCAN'S PERFECT CHOCOLATE FONDANTS

Steps:

• Mix 1 teaspoon flour and cocoa powder together in a bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter 6 metal pudding ramekins and use a fine sieve to dust the insides with the flour-cocoa powder mixture.
• Place chocolate and 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of boiling water. Stir until melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove bowl from the saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk in 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour gradually until smooth. Stir in the cooled melted chocolate-butter mixture.
• Whisk egg whites together in a bowl, using a clean whisk, until stiff. Fold gently into the chocolate-butter mixture. Pour into the prepared ramekins.
• Bake in the preheated oven until risen but slightly undercooked inside, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Carefully remove ramekins from the oven and loosen the sides of each cake with a round-bladed knife.

CHOCOLATE FONDANT

Steps:

• First get your moulds ready. Using upward strokes, heavily brush melted butter (use 50g in total) 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 the next mould.
• Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt 200g good-quality dark chocolate and 200g butter, both chopped into small pieces, together. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.
• In a separate bowl whisk 4 eggs and 4 egg yolks together with 200g golden caster sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift 200g plain flour into the eggs, then beat together.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Sit a fondant in the middle of each plate. Using a large spoon dipped in hot water, scoop a 'quenelle' of ice cream.
• Carefully place the ice cream on top of the fondant, then serve immediately. Repeat with the rest of the fondants.

ALICE'S FONDANT FILLING FOR CHOCOLATES

Steps:

• Combine ingredients in heavy saucepan. Boil until it reaches a soft ball stage. Pour into buttered dish to cool.
• After mixture is cooled, pour on clean surface and beat with wooden paddles until light and airy. Just as mixture "turns" mix in flavoring until thoroughly blended inches.
• Refrigerate to cool completely. Form into balls. Dip in desired chocolate.
• Variations:.
• Peppermint (peppermint extract to taste).
• Maple Walnut (maple flavoring to taste and finely chopped walnuts).
• Orange (orange extract to taste--a few drops to 1/2 teaspoon).
• Cherry (Maraschino cherries drained and quartered--pat dry).
• Cherry-almond (as above but add almond extract to taste).
• Almond (almond extract with a sliced almond on top of finished chocolate).
• Coconut (fine coconut plus vanilla).
• Rum (rum extract plus 1-2 teaspoons butter).