Molten Chocolate Fondants with a Salted Caramel Heart

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

Crack the spoon through a dark, glossy chocolate shell and out floods a river of buttery salted caramel. The caramel is frozen into little discs first, so the centre stays gloriously liquid every single time. Restaurant dessert, home kitchen, twelve minutes in the oven.

Per serving: 790 kcal · 9.5g protein · 72.0g carbs · 52.0g fat

Ingredients

• For the salted caramel centres:
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 75ml double cream, warmed
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
• For the fondants:
• 120g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
• 120g unsalted butter, plus 20g extra softened for greasing
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, for dusting the moulds
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 90g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour
• Pinch of fine salt
• To serve: vanilla ice cream and a little extra flaky salt

Method

1. Make the caramel: heat the sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat without stirring until it turns a deep amber, about 6–8 minutes. Off the heat, carefully whisk in the warm cream (it will bubble hard), then the butter and flaky salt.
2. Pour the caramel into an ice cube tray or 4 small silicone moulds to make 4 discs/cubes of roughly 20g each. Freeze for at least 45 minutes until solid. Chill any leftover caramel for drizzling.
3. Brush 4 x 175ml dariole moulds or ramekins generously with softened butter, using upward strokes, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Chill the moulds.
4. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the chocolate and 120g butter together in a bowl set over barely simmering water, stir smooth, then cool for 5 minutes.
5. Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar with an electric whisk for 3–4 minutes until pale, thick and mousse-like. Fold in the chocolate mixture, then sift over the flour and fine salt and fold gently until just combined.
6. Half-fill each mould with batter. Drop a frozen caramel disc into the centre of each, then cover with the remaining batter, leaving 1cm clear at the top. Smooth the surface.
7. Bake on a tray for 11–13 minutes, until the tops are set and puffed but the centres still wobble slightly.
8. Rest for 1 minute, run a knife round the edge, invert onto plates and lift off the moulds. Serve at once with ice cream, a drizzle of reserved caramel and a pinch of flaky salt.