Name: Chocolate Fondant with a Molten Centre (Fondant au chocolat)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 150 g dark chocolate (good quality, chopped); 100 g butter (in small pieces); 3 eggs; 1 egg yolk; 100 g sugar; 50 g plain flour; 20 g butter (melted, for brushing the ramekins); 2 tbsp cocoa powder (for dusting the ramekins); 4 scoops vanilla ice cream (to serve)

Preparation

Brush four ramekins (about 150 ml each) with melted butter, chill briefly, brush with butter once more and dust with cocoa; tap out the excess cocoa.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, stir until smooth and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolk and sugar until thick and pale, sift the flour over and stir in.
Stir in the chocolate mixture in three portions, mixing well after each addition until you have a smooth, runny batter.
Divide the batter among the ramekins and chill for at least 20 minutes; this also works up to the next day.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional), set the ramekins on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until a crust forms on top and the edge pulls away from the ramekin.
Leave to stand for one minute, carefully loosen the edge of each cake, turn out onto plates and serve immediately with vanilla ice cream.

Drink with it

Fortified wine · excellent match
Ruby or tawny port, lightly chilled, or Pedro Ximénez
Dark fruit and sweetness stand up to the bitter chocolate; lightly chilled, the wine provides a counterpoint to the warm centre.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage
Aged tequila · excellent match
Tequila añejo, neat as a digestif
The cocoa, coffee and oak notes of the añejo suit the bitter chocolate and the roasted notes of the crust.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes
Cognac and brandy · excellent match
Cognac XO, neat at room temperature
The roasted and dried-fruit notes of an older cognac cope with the warm centre and balance the sweetness with dryness.
Cognac and Armagnac: Two Origins for Brandy
Sherry-cask whisky · excellent match
Sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a drop of water
Raisins, cocoa and spice from the sherry cask pick up the dark chocolate; a drop of water takes the edge off the alcohol.
What Does the Cask Do to Whisky?
Aged rum · good match
Aged rum, neat or over an ice cube
Roasted and caramel notes of cask-aged rum take up the warm cocoa, while the vanilla ice cream cools things down.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling

Preparation

Brush four ramekins (about 150 ml each) with melted butter, chill briefly, brush with butter once more and dust with cocoa; tap out the excess cocoa.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, stir until smooth and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolk and sugar until thick and pale, sift the flour over and stir in.
Stir in the chocolate mixture in three portions, mixing well after each addition until you have a smooth, runny batter.
Divide the batter among the ramekins and chill for at least 20 minutes; this also works up to the next day.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional), set the ramekins on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until a crust forms on top and the edge pulls away from the ramekin.
Leave to stand for one minute, carefully loosen the edge of each cake, turn out onto plates and serve immediately with vanilla ice cream.

Drink with it

Fortified wine · excellent match
Ruby or tawny port, lightly chilled, or Pedro Ximénez
Dark fruit and sweetness stand up to the bitter chocolate; lightly chilled, the wine provides a counterpoint to the warm centre.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage
Aged tequila · excellent match
Tequila añejo, neat as a digestif
The cocoa, coffee and oak notes of the añejo suit the bitter chocolate and the roasted notes of the crust.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes
Cognac and brandy · excellent match
Cognac XO, neat at room temperature
The roasted and dried-fruit notes of an older cognac cope with the warm centre and balance the sweetness with dryness.
Cognac and Armagnac: Two Origins for Brandy
Sherry-cask whisky · excellent match
Sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a drop of water
Raisins, cocoa and spice from the sherry cask pick up the dark chocolate; a drop of water takes the edge off the alcohol.
What Does the Cask Do to Whisky?
Aged rum · good match
Aged rum, neat or over an ice cube
Roasted and caramel notes of cask-aged rum take up the warm cocoa, while the vanilla ice cream cools things down.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling

Chocolate Fondant with a Molten Centre (Fondant au chocolat)

Preparation

Drink with it

Ruby or tawny port, lightly chilled, or Pedro Ximénez

Tequila añejo, neat as a digestif

Cognac XO, neat at room temperature

Sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a drop of water

Aged rum, neat or over an ice cube

This pairs well too.

Chocolate Mousse (Mousse au Chocolat)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Sachertorte (Viennese chocolate cake)

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Chocolate Fondant with a Molten Centre (Fondant au chocolat)

Preparation

Drink with it

Ruby or tawny port, lightly chilled, or Pedro Ximénez

Tequila añejo, neat as a digestif

Cognac XO, neat at room temperature

Sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a drop of water

Aged rum, neat or over an ice cube

This pairs well too.

Chocolate Mousse (Mousse au Chocolat)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Sachertorte (Viennese chocolate cake)

Sticky Toffee Pudding