Learn how to make delicious chocolate fondants with Chef Nick in this video. This dish is one of our most popular requests for cooking lessons and dinner parties – enjoy!

For this recipe, you’ll need:

150g unsalted butter (plus a little extra for lining the moulds or ramekins)
150g dark chocolate (70% solids)
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
150g plain flour
180g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 small tin of cocoa powder
1 small pot of cream , To serve
6-8 ramekins or pudding moulds
2 mixing bowls
1 oven
1 metal spoon
1 sieve

Serves: 8
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Oven Temperature: 180°C – 360°F

Step 1: Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 4

Step 2: Line the pudding moulds
Line the pudding moulds with butter, then a little cocoa powder so the fondant doesn’t get stuck later!

Step 3: Heat some water
Fill a small pan 1/3 full with water and boil on the hob.

Step 4: Melt the chocolate and butter together
Break up the dark chocolate into a metal or glass bowl. Add the unsalted butter. Place the bowl on top of the pan of hot water and turn down the heat so the water is simmering. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water! Leave the chocolate and butter to melt in together.

Step 5: Make the rest of the mixture
Break 3 eggs into a large mixing bowl. Separate 3 more eggs and put the yolks in with the other eggs. You can keep the egg whites if you want to use them for another recipe later! Add the caster sugar to the eggs. Cut a vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into the egg and sugar mixture.

Step 6: Beat the mixture
Beat this egg, sugar and vanilla seed mixture slowly until it is pale and fluffy.

Step 7: Mix this with the chocolate mixture
Take the chocolate off the heat and allow to cool for a minute, whilst stirring. Slowly add the chocolate into the egg mixture, beating the mixture slowly all the time (it helps to have 2 people doing this!) until it is all mixed in.

Step 8: Add flour into the chocolate mix
Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl then pour it into the chocolate mixture. Using a large, thin metal spoon, slowly ‘cut’ the flour into the chocolate mixture very gently until it is all mixed in. Shake the spoon to check the flour has all mixed in (there should be no lumps).

Step 9: Put the chocolate into the moulds
With a small spoon, fill the pudding moulds 2/3 with the chocolate mixture. Don’t fill right to the top or they’ll spill over while cooking. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes (if you don’t have time you can put them straight into the oven).

Step 10: Cook the fondants
Remove the moulds from the fridge and place into the pre-heated oven for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, check them by pressing the top. They shouldn’t be too firm. Leave for up to 2 more minutes. Remove from the oven and turn out (using oven gloves). Enjoy on their own or served with cream or chocolate sauce!