Fond of fondant? Try Chocolate fondant

Masterchef and shows of its ilk have made chocolate fondant a household name in India. There can be nothing more irresistible on television than a slow-motion shot of a fondant being cut open to reveal pure, molten chocolate. Here’s how you can make it at home:

50 gm melted butter, for brushing

Cocoa powder, for dusting

200 gm good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

200 gm butter, in small pieces

200 gm golden caster sugar

4 egg whites and 4 yolks

200 gm plain flour

Using upward strokes, heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of a pudding mould. Place in the fridge or freezer. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, and 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. Repeat the steps with a second mould.

Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail. Sift the 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. 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 minutes or up to the night before. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 minutes more to the cooking time.

Heat oven to 200 degrees C. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 minutes 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 minute 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.