Sunday baking: Chocolate Fondant

During the short time I was an apprentice pastry chef making all sorts of cakes and pastries, I had never made a chocolate fondant. Which seems like one of the most popular desserts and one everyone is raving about so I thought I would give it a go at home.  A word of warning, it is a deceptively simple dessert.

I had been putting it off for a long time, which seems silly but yes, I am afraid of the chocolate oosy middle cake. Why? Well, aside from the fact it originally came from a kitchen mis-hap where the chef under-cooked the cakes but served them anyway, they are incredibly hard to make. One minute over-cooked or under cooked and it's a disaster, which I found out today. 

I made four of them and only baked one a time so I could get the timing right. The one I photographed was my fourth cake and my only hope. The first three were.... well, lets leave that in the past shall we.

I worked out that the baking time is exactly 13 minutes and you have one minute to get it out of the mould before it's over-cooked because it will continue to bake in its ramekin. 

Since it was my first time making a chocolate fondant, I followed a recipe I found on-line. You'd be surprised by how many completely different recipes there are on this "simple" little cake. I figured I would follow the direction of the food goddess herself,  Nigella.  (click on her name for the recipe)

Hope you're all having a fabtastic day. So question, Is there something you're afraid to bake/make?

Infinite x's and o's

Elena