Dessert Recipes

Hazelnut Fondant

September 30, 2012

Very few people I know can resist a molten chocolate cake and I’m definitely one of them. They’re the ultimate indulgence even though their preparation is quite simple. They reign over practically every restaurant’s dessert menu from the fanciest to the hole-in-the-wall and even their extra wait time would held in place the most hurried dinners. Countless times have I stared at a creative and tempting dessert card filled with seasonal marvels of mousse, puffs, pies and unique puddings only to relinquish my sweet curiosity for the familiar and exquisite pleasure of digging my spoon into a chocolate fondant and witness the thick wave of warm chocolate flowing on the plate…

There’s no reason to reserve this enjoyment exclusively to restaurant nights as it’s fairly easy to make at home and I can’t think of a better way to have your dinner guests drooling in anticipation when you’ll pop it in the oven for a brief 10-15 minutes right before dessert time. There are plenty of the classic and very chocolaty versions out there to try but I was immediately attracted to the marriage of chocolate and hazelnuts found here, not that usual. It’s still irresistibly good though slightly less sweet and you get the reward of biting into nutty bursts of roasted hazelnuts.

All the tasks involved are really simple and quick and the only key thing here is the baking time which will determine the amount of gooeyness your cake will have. Not to worry, even if you were to slightly overcook it, it would still come out extremely soft and delectable, almost impossible to ruin. Serve it warm straight at the table so everyone can see the melting goodness when you dig the serving spoon in… there’s no better communal dessert than this.

Hazelnut Fondant

Adapted from Elle a Table
Active time: 10  minutes

Total time: 25 minutes
Makes 6 servings

200g milk chocolate
50g cornstarch
100g sugar
100g butter
100g whole hazelnuts
4 eggs
zest from 1 orange

Equipment
A 20cm x 15cm baking dish

 

Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bain-marie (water bath).

Whisk the eggs with the sugar until lightened and pale in color, then add the cornstarch.

Add the chocolate, hazelnuts and orange zest to the egg mixture.

Grease and flour your baking dish and pour the mixture in.

Bake in the oven at 325°F (160°) for 10-15 minutes or until the surface gets dry and lightly cracked. Leave it to cool slightly before serving.

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  • Valentina October 1, 2012 at 3:05 am

    wow — this looks absolutely heavenly! simply divine!

    • Sandra October 1, 2012 at 9:28 am

      Thank you Valentina!

  • master chef October 1, 2012 at 3:22 am

    WOW, looks amazing 🙂

    • Sandra October 1, 2012 at 9:29 am

      Thanks so much!

  • Christine October 1, 2012 at 11:42 pm

    Are the hazelnuts raw or already toasted?

    • Sandra October 2, 2012 at 7:14 am

      They are raw though I’m sure substituting toasted hazelnuts would be super tasty too.

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  • mattt October 2, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    Tes recettes ont l’air toutes plus bonnes les unes que les autres!!
    Si je suis à New York un de ces jours, je passe te voir! 🙂

    • Sandra October 2, 2012 at 8:08 pm

      Haha, ca me fera plaisir! Plus il y a de monde pour partager mes desserts, moins il en reste pour mon tour de taille… 😉

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  • Rachael January 11, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    this looks delish! I’ll be making this tomorrow , YUM cannot wait

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