Chocolate Fondant with Poached Pears

Name: Chocolate Fondant with Poached Pears
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: For the poached pears: ||4-6 pears, peeled ||3 cups water ||100g light brown sugar ||3 cinnamon sticks ||3 cardamom pods ||2 star anise ||2 strips lemon peel ||1 strip orange peel || Juice of 1 orange; For the Chocolate Fondants: ||20g unsalted butter, melted, for greasing moulds || Caster sugar, for coating moulds ||200g good quality dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids), finely chopped ||200g salted butter, softened ||4 large free-range eggs ||4 large free-range egg yolks ||200g icing sugar, sifted ||55g plain flour ||35g cocoa powder

DIFFICULTY

Easy Easy

PREP TIME

Under 1 Hr. Under 1 Hr.

COOK TIME

Under 30 Min. Under 30 Min.

SERVES

4-6 4-6

Rich molten chocolate fondants served with spiced poached pears and citrus syrup for an elegant dessert centrepiece.

Main INGREDIENTS

Fruit

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Ingredients

Method

Ingredients

For the poached pears:

4-6 pears, peeled
3 cups water
100g light brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
3 cardamom pods
2 star anise
2 strips lemon peel
1 strip orange peel
Juice of 1 orange

For the Chocolate Fondants:

20g unsalted butter, melted, for greasing moulds
Caster sugar, for coating moulds
200g good quality dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids), finely chopped
200g salted butter, softened
4 large free-range eggs
4 large free-range egg yolks
200g icing sugar, sifted
55g plain flour
35g cocoa powder

Method
1

For the poached pears: Place all the ingredients (except for pears) into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the pears.
2

Poach for approximately 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the pears and continue simmering the liquid until reduced to a light syrup consistency.
3

Set aside until ready to serve.
4

For the Chocolate Fondant: Preheat the oven to 190°C and brush cocottes with melted butter using upward strokes.
5

Chill briefly, then repeat with a second layer of butter. Coat each mould with caster sugar, tapping out any excess. Place onto a baking tray until ready to use.
6

Place the chocolate and softened butter into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until melted, smooth and fully combined. Keep warm.
7

Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and icing sugar until pale, thick and doubled in volume. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture.
8

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift over the flour and cocoa powder and gently fold through until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared moulds, filling each halfway and adding a poached pear.
9

Bake for 10 minutes until the edges are set but the centres remain soft and molten. Serve with drizzle of the reduced spiced citrus syrup and a ball of vanilla ice cream.

A dusting of icing sugar before serving adds a festive finish. The fondant batter can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated in the moulds for up to 24 hours before baking. Add an extra minute to the baking time if baking from chilled. Pears can be poached ahead of time.