Dark Chocolate Fondant Pots
Dense, fudgy baked chocolate pots with a soft molten center, made from just chocolate, butter, eggs and sugar. A rich small dessert that sets in the oven and needs nothing else.
- Total
- 36 min
- Prep 12 · Cook 14 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Tempering eggs
- Sweet
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 180°C. Butter the 6 ramekins lightly using a little of the butter, then set them on the baking tray.
~5 min
Buttering the ramekins creates a non-stick layer so the delicate, soft-centered pots release cleanly without tearing.
-
Break the chocolat noir into pieces and put it in the heatproof bowl with the remaining butter. Set the bowl over a jug of just-boiled water, off the heat, and stir until both are fully melted and smooth.
~5 min
Gentle indirect heat melts chocolate and butter without scorching, keeping the mixture glossy and smooth.
-
Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt in a second bowl for 2 minutes, until pale and slightly thickened. Pour in the warm melted chocolate and butter and whisk just until evenly combined.
~2 min
Whisking eggs and sugar dissolves the sugar and adds air, giving the batter a light, even structure.
Whisking Whisk steadily for the full 2 minutes until the mixture turns pale and slightly thick; under-whisking leaves grainy sugar and a flat batter.
Tempering eggs Pour the warm chocolate in gradually while whisking so the eggs heat gently; adding it all at once can scramble them.
-
Divide the batter between the 6 ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until the tops are set and the centers still wobble slightly when you nudge the tray, 12 to 14 minutes.
~14 min
Pulling the pots while the centers still wobble keeps the middle molten, since residual heat finishes setting them.
Pull the pots when the center still jiggles like set custard; a fully firm top means the middle has baked through and lost its molten texture.
If your ramekins are wider than 8 cm, start checking at 11 minutes, since a thinner layer of batter sets faster.
-
Take the tray out and let the pots stand for 10 minutes. They will firm up around the edges while staying soft in the middle. Serve warm.
~10 min
Resting lets the residual heat set the edges while the center stays soft, so the pots hold together when served.