Here is part one of the French versus English chocolate dessert challenge!
The main difference is that the French, ‘Chocolat Fondant’ is served warm and the English, ‘Chocolate Pots’ is served cold.
Try them both and let me know which your prefer…….
This is a really simple, but really impressive dessert – the great thing about this recipe is that it works really well for two people (just double up the ingredients to make for four)
A perfect way to finish off a Valentine’s day dinner – even more romantic if you share with two spoons…………..
Ingredients
(for two people)
70g dark cooking chocolate broken into squares
30g milk cooking chocolate broken into squares
(for those living near a Sainsbury’s supermarket, their basic cooking chocolate in the pale blue and pink wrappers is by far the best that I have used)
30g castor sugar (sucre en poudre)
60g Mascarpone cheese
1 egg
1 level tablespoon (2 cuilleres de soupe)corn flour (farine de maise)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (gas mark 6)
Cream the eggs with the sugar and add the corn flour a little at a time
Melt the chocolate with the mascarpone in the microwave for around 30 seconds(or in a basin over a pan of simmering water if you had not)
I do this in 10 second bursts, stirring after each one to prevent the chocolate from cooking.
Pour the melted chocolate and mascarpone in to the eggs, sugar and flour, and fold in well with a metal spoon to add air into the mixture.
Bake for 10-15 minutes in an oven proof earthenware of glass ramekin, lightly greased with a little salted butter, until risen and set on the outside, but soft in the middle
(check after 10 minutes and turn off heat and leave in the oven if you think that it is drying out too much)
I think that this dessert takes a bit of trial and error to adjust to suit each individual oven, but once perfected is foolproof !
I usually serve this in the ramekins, with a small dollop of crème fraiche on the side, but if you are brave enough you can turn out onto a plate, as I have done for the purpose of the photograph.
Be careful not to burn your mouth!
A Taste of two Cities 