For my thirtieth birthday my fiance surprised me with a trip to Quebec City, one of the highlights of our trip was a fine meal at an established French restaurant. It was so cold that it ended up being just us, the waiter and the chef. For desert we ordered a Fondant Moelleux au Chocolat and it was simply the most sublime chocolate desert either of us have had. We vowed to learn the ingredients and how to make it properly.
My Fiance works with a french women who found the traditional recipe for the dessert and translated the recipe into English for us. I’ve attempted to make the dessert several times and its been good but not like that first night (maybe it will never be). I was missing something but could figure out exactly what it was. This Christmas my fiance gifted me a double boiler with a ceramic insert to help with properly distributing the heat during the melting process. I don’t think I’m quite there, but here is a photo essay of my latest attempt in the dead of January with my new camera (Canon 5d MII and lens (50mm f1.2). I’ve included some of the secrets I’ve learned on making this desert as well as some substituted ingredients to make it a little healthier (ie less butter, molasses for sugar, egg whites instead of whole eggs).
Ingredients: 300g dark unsweetened chocolate, 250g of butter (I use less), 250g of sugar, 5 eggs and 2 tablespoons of flour.
The original recipe with translation.
The essential ingredients.
Melt the butter slowly.
Add the chocolate to melt.
Wisk in sugar.
I use some molasses as a sweeter and reduce the pure sugar.
Add the beaten eggs. This is the most important step and most difficult. The eggs bind the ingredients together. Too hot and the eggs cook before baking and the ingredients separate, to cold and the chocolate solidifies. I’d estimate you would want the temperature at 105 degrees. (This is why I’m a cook and not a baker, baking is much more about specific measurements and temperatures).
Use a ceramic baking vessel buttered and floured. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Twenty minutes if you want the middle runny.
The guests and I were hungry for dessert and I forgot to take the picture of final preparation before serving!!! Here is the result, I think successful. I finished off the presentation with a reduction of red wine, red raspberries, walnuts and cocoa nibs.
This has nothing to do with the recipe, Meyer lemons are in season and I use them in every part of my cooking.
