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La Belle Cuisine - More Chocolate Treats
Fine Cuisine with Art Infusion "To cook is to create. And to create well...is an act of integrity, and faith."
Chocolate Fondants
"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good
friend with CHOCOLATE."
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Chocolate Fondants 14 Fondants “This is one of the most requested desserts at Le
Cirque. Once you have tasted it,
For the fondants
For the garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Use a pastry brush to
evenly coat the inside of 14 individual 3-ounce molds (I use disposable
aluminum molds) with softened butter. Fill each mold with granulated sugar;
then pour out the excess. If you have properly buttered the molds, the sugar
will stick to the sides and bottoms of them. The butter and sugar will keep Prepare the Fondants: Melt the butter in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until well combined and all the chocolate has melted. The cocoa powder and salt accentuate the taste of the chocolate. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. If using the meringue powder, combine it with the sugar in a small bowl. The meringue powder contains a high quantity of albumin, which will add strength and allow for a stiffer meringue. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and make a French meringue by adding the sugar mixture, or the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time and whipping the egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks. Gently but quickly fold the warm chocolate mixture into the meringue until combined. Be careful not to deflate the mixture, or your baked Fondants will be flat and heavy. The mixture should be homogenous in color. However, if you can still see streaks of meringue in it, that’s okay. Place the batter in a large pastry bag with a large opening (no tip). The pastry bag will be easier to handle if you fill it only half full; you will probably need to refill the bag two or three times to use all of the batter. Pipe the molds three quarters full with batter. (At this stage, the molded Fondants can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, well wrapped in plastic wrap. Thaw in the refrigerator for 2 hours before baking.) Bake the Fondants until they have risen about 1/2 inch over the top of the mold, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the whipped cream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe rosettes onto each serving plate. Garnish with candied orange or grapefruit peels. Remove the Fondants from the oven and immediately invert each one over the center of a plate. Lightly tap the bottom and shake slightly to allow the Fondant to gently drop from the mold. Cover the Fondants with the chocolate sauce and serve. When you cut into the Fondant, the center should still be somewhat liquid.
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