Spiced Chocolate Fondant

By Chef Alan Bird

SERVES: 12 PREPARATION: 20mins COOKING: 20mins

This recipe originates from Chef Alan Birds days at The Ivy, when Alan and Phil Usher (his head pastry chef back then), would bounce ideas off each other and try out different recipes.

ingredients
method
beer pairing

For the filling:

  • 70g dark chocolate (buttons or small pieces)
  • 50ml double cream
  • 20ml Drambuie
  • 50g mincemeat

For the fondant:

  • 300g butter, unsalted
  • 300g white chocolate (buttons or small pieces)
  • 10g baking powder
  • 5g mixed spice
  • 3g ground cinnamon
  • 260g flour
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 200g currants and sultanas, soaked in hot water

For the filling:

  1. Bring the cream to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
  2. Stir in the Drambuie and mincemeat and leave to set in the fridge.
  3. When set, mould into 25g balls.

For the fondant:

  1. Line the inside of 6/7cm stainless steel cooking rings with silicone paper. Cut squares of silicone paper and place them under each of the rings, and place on a baking sheet 6-7cm apart.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190C.
  3. Melt the butter and white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don’t let it get too hot. Meanwhile, sieve together the baking powder, spices and flour.
  4. Mix the egg yolks into the chocolate (at this stage it may look like it’s split, but it will come back when the flour is added) and then gently fold in the sieved flour mixture.
  5. Whisk the egg whites and sugar until stiff, then whisk ¼ of this into the chocolate. When mixed, fold the rest of the egg whites in and then the currants and sultanas.
  6. Half fill the moulds then add a ball of the filling and top up with the rest of the mixture.
  7. Bake the fondants for 12 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and loosen with a knife, then carefully put onto warmed serving plates with a spatula.
  9. Serve with pouring cream or clotted cream – or just as they are.

Pair with a La Trappe Dubbel. Buy Here.


ingredients

For the filling:

  • 70g dark chocolate (buttons or small pieces)
  • 50ml double cream
  • 20ml Drambuie
  • 50g mincemeat

For the fondant:

  • 300g butter, unsalted
  • 300g white chocolate (buttons or small pieces)
  • 10g baking powder
  • 5g mixed spice
  • 3g ground cinnamon
  • 260g flour
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 90g caster sugar
  • 200g currants and sultanas, soaked in hot water
method

For the filling:

  1. Bring the cream to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
  2. Stir in the Drambuie and mincemeat and leave to set in the fridge.
  3. When set, mould into 25g balls.

For the fondant:

  1. Line the inside of 6/7cm stainless steel cooking rings with silicone paper. Cut squares of silicone paper and place them under each of the rings, and place on a baking sheet 6-7cm apart.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190C.
  3. Melt the butter and white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don’t let it get too hot. Meanwhile, sieve together the baking powder, spices and flour.
  4. Mix the egg yolks into the chocolate (at this stage it may look like it’s split, but it will come back when the flour is added) and then gently fold in the sieved flour mixture.
  5. Whisk the egg whites and sugar until stiff, then whisk ¼ of this into the chocolate. When mixed, fold the rest of the egg whites in and then the currants and sultanas.
  6. Half fill the moulds then add a ball of the filling and top up with the rest of the mixture.
  7. Bake the fondants for 12 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and loosen with a knife, then carefully put onto warmed serving plates with a spatula.
  9. Serve with pouring cream or clotted cream – or just as they are.
beer pairing

Pair with a La Trappe Dubbel. Buy Here.