Weekend Recipe -- Fondant au Chocolat

⤿ I was going to bake something upon coming back last night, but all I wanted to do was drink lots of water and sit down because it had been a sweltering hot day and the kids at school had been particularly annoying and needy. It was all "Anne this, and Anne that", and "he insulted me; I'm not talking to him" for the last hour (the worst time to tutor a group of 6th grade boys is after they've just had a fight). I got back two hours later than usual because I met up with my friend Ben to shoot some more photos for his dating profile. Ben has been letting me use him as a model to improve my understanding of light and composition, so in return, he gets some shots to find himself a new lady. 

⤿ Chocolate fondants are one of the most popular French recipes. Everyone and their mother's made it at some point in their life, usually for a staff meeting or birthday. It's sort of a fool-proof recipe. It's up there with the chocolate cake that some people call "gateau au chocolat des secrétaires". And yet, I'd never made it. I like chocolate as much as the next person, but I don't love cooking with it, so it never occurred to me to give them a try. When I saw the recipe on my Nestlé dark chocolate bar, I knew it would be perfect to take to Camille's birthday party.  

✻ Chocolate Fondant ✻ 

Makes between 8 and 12 fondants. 

➵ Ingredients

- 9 ounces (230g) plus 2 squares per ramekin dark baking chocolate

- 7 eggs

- 3/4 cup (140g) brown sugar

- 1/2 cup (115g) butter

- 2 tbsp all purpose flour

➵ Instructions

⤿ Preheat oven to 480F (250°C)

⤿ Cut up chocolate along square marks

⤿ Melt chocolate in a pan over another pan of boiling water

⤿ When the chocolate is melted, add butter in small pieces

⤿ In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar

⤿ Add flour by small increments and mix well. 

⤿ Grease and flour the ramekins (crème brûlée ramekins are a good size) or muffin pans

⤿ Pour a third of the chocolate mixture into each ramekin dish, place two squares of chocolate onto the mixture and cover with more chocolate. Leave a little room at the top because these babies get all big and bloated. 

⤿ Be prepared to weep when the top crumbles and looks all messy. There's probably a way to avoid it, but I'm not privy to it. 

⤷ Enjoy with a big-ass glass of water (or four). 

Coming soon: my waste of a roll of film South Beach photos.