Petits Fondants Au Chocolat Little Chocolate Mousse Cakes Recipes

BISCUITS DE CHOCOLAT SMALL CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325. Beat the grated chocolate, sugar, and egg yolks in a bowl until thick and creamy. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold it in gently. Set cupcakes papers out on a cookie sheet and spoon a small amount of batter - not more than 1/4 cup - into each one. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the batter. Bake immediately, until the tops are firm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Lightly grease insides of 3 9 inch cake pans with melted butter. Line each pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease parchment paptr with more melted butter. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat 1 inch water in bottom of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 14 tablespoons butter and 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler. Tightly cover top with plastic wrap. Allow to heat for 10-12 minutes, remove from heat, stir until smooth and hold at room temperature.
• Place 8 egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in bowl of electric mixed with paddle. Beat on high until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 2 minutes.
• In another bowl, whisk or beat 4 egg whites until stiff, but not dry, about 3-4 minutes.
• Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolk mixture. Add a quarter of the beaten egg whites and stir to incorporate, then gently fold in remaining egg whites.
• Divide the batter among the 3 pans, spread evenly and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-30 minutes. Allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes. (During baking, the surface of the cakes will form a crust; this crust will normally collapse, when the cakes are removed from the oven.) Invert the cakes onto cake circles, remove the parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Mousse Filling:.
• Heat 1 inch of water in bottom of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir until smooth. transfer melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed. Place 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a well chilled bowl of electric mixer fitted with well-chilled balloon whip. Whisk on high until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a hand whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and fold together.
• Ganache:.
• Heat 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the 18 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in 3 quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Chill 1 cup of ganache for at least 1 hour. Remaining ganahe should be at room temperature.
• Assemble the cake:.
• Arrange one of the cake layers in a 9 inch springform pan, evenly spread half of the mousse filling over the cake and top with the second layer. Add remaining mousse and top with the remaining cake layer. Chill 2 hours. Transfer chilled cup of ganache to a pastry bag fitted a star tip. Remove cake from springform pan and coat top and sides with room temperature ganache. Using chilled ganache, pipe decorative stars on top of cake.

CHOCOLATE FONDANTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put a baking tray on the middle shelf. Brush the inside of 5 dariole or pudding moulds with the melted butter, then put the cocoa in one and turn it to coat the inside, holding it over the second mould to catch any that escapes. Repeat with the other moulds.
• Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until melted. allow to cool slightly.
• Using electric beaters, whisk together the whole eggs, yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt until pale and moussey (the mixture should almost double in volume), this will take 3-4 mins. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and butter, and then the flour, being careful not to knock out too much air. Spoon into the prepared moulds, stopping just shy of the top. Chill for at least 1 hr.
• Put on a hot baking tray and cook for 12-14 mins until the tops are set and coming away from the sides of the moulds. Stand for 30 secs, then serve in the moulds or turn out onto plates. Great with clotted cream or plain ice cream.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition., Transfer to two greased 9-in. tart pans with removable bottoms. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Pipe frosting over tops of cakes; sprinkle with grated chocolate. Refrigerate leftovers.

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.