Chocolate Fondant with a soft fudge centre, vanilla ice cream and almonds.

                                          

I love this fondant recipe, the addition of the fudge inserted into the centre of the fondant before it is cooked adds another dimension to the dish. When the fondant is cut hot fudge comes running out from the centre creating a taste sensation not to be missed.

Do try this recipe at home as all in all it is very straight forward, just mastering the amount of time it needs in the oven is the only tricky bit.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

For the fudge;

100g sugar (brown light)

50g butter

200g condensed milk

For the fondant;

205g dark chocolate

30g butter

90g sugar

2 eggs

30g plain flour

30g toasted almonds

For the vanilla Ice Cream;

6 egg yolks (pasteurised)

750g double cream

250ml milk

150g sugar (caster)

1 vanilla pod

Method:

For the fudge;

Bring sugar and butter to medium heat. Add milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Set in fridge, pull into 6g pieces. These will be placed in the centre of the fondants.

For the fondant; Pre heat the oven to 185°c.

Place the flour, sugar and eggs into a bowl and whisk until well combined. Place a metal bowl over a pan of boiling water and add the chocolate and the butter. Melt chocolate and butter. When the chocolate has completely melted add to the flour mixture. Butter four ramekins and set for 10 minutes in fridge. Place the chocolate mixture into a piping bag and pipe chocolate mixture into the ramekins. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to set. When the fondant has set take a teaspoon and scoop out the middle, place the fudge in the centre. Then replace the scooped out chocolate and set in the fridge for a further ½ hour.  Bake the fondants in the pre heated oven for 7 minutes, after this time remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes, This will allow the molten centre to settle and not start to leak when removed from the mould. Remove from their moulds and top with chopped toasted almonds.

For the vanilla Ice Cream;

Place the double cream, milk and vanilla pod in to a pan and bring to the boil. Whisk egg yolks with sugar until light and fluffy. Pour ⅓ of the cream mixture over the whisked egg yolks and mix well, pour this mixture back into the cream mixture and cook over a low/medium stirring all the time and cook until 81°c.

Place in ice cream machine until frozen.

To serve;

Place the fondant onto a serving plate and place and serve the ice cream to the side. At the Merchant we serve the ice cream in a small tuile basket and paint the plate with a little orange fluid gel.