“We sell so many fondants at Cafe St Honoré that we see them in our sleep. We can’t take them off the menu as they are so popular. We serve with a different ice-cream or crème fraîche, but you chose what you serve with it.”
Makes 2 large or 4 small fondants
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of plain flour
100g dark chocolate, plus a few extra buttons for the centre
100g unsalted butter, diced
65g caster sugar
A little melted butter for brushing
A little cocoa powder for dusting
A dollop of vanilla ice-cream
A handful of Californian walnuts
Another 45g caster sugar
Heat the oven to 180°C.
METHOD
To make the brittle, add 45 grams of caster sugar to a pot, place on the hob and cook until the sugar is golden brown. Be careful as it gets very hot. When golden, pour the sugar on to a non-stick mat and add the walnuts to it. Allow to cool and snap into shards of desired sizes.
Next, prepare 2 large, or 4 small, dariole moulds by brushing with the melted butter then dust with a little cocoa powder. Knocking any excess powder out.
Whisk the egg, yolks and flour in a bowl and set to one side.
Place the chocolate, butter and sugar in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and melt gently whilst whisking to combine. When it reaches room temperature, add the egg and flour mix to the chocolate mix. This is a basic fondant recipe.
Next, spoon the mixture into the moulds until they are half full, then add the buttons, then fill the moulds to the top. If there’s any mix left over, it will keep well in the fridge for another day.
Bake the fondants in the oven for 9 to 11 minutes, and then let them sit for a minute outside the oven before carefully turning them out onto warm plates. Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream a shard of walnut brittle.