Sunday Flavors

CHILI CHOCOLATE FONDANT

In both the Mayan and Aztec cultures, cocoa was the basis for a thick, cold, unsweetened drink called “xocoatl”, believed to be a health elixir. Since sugar was unknown to the Aztecs, different spices were used to add flavor, even hot chili peppers. So we can’t say this is a new recipe at all.
Not as a drink but as a fondant or “lava cake”, you can try to do something special and exotic to your dessert. It’s very funny when you keep secret of this chili hint and your family or gests start to notice something new among this small chocolate cake.
Of course you can always reduce the amount of chili if it’s too hot for you.
It’s a very easy recipe to prepare and the only important point is not to over bake the fondants, as the basic idea is to get a outer part cooked and a inner part quite liquid, remembering lava flowing from a volcano when you cut the cake. So, study your oven and if you over bake it at the first and second times, don’t give up, you will get it perfect next time. If you don’t bake it enough, just imagine you are eating a good chocolate mousse. But never, never throw it away because this is a health elixir, as you will notice!

YOU WILL NEED (Serves 4):
200 gr / 7 ¼ oz of good quality dark chocolate;
120 gr / 4 ¼ oz of butter, plus extra to grease, at room temperature;
15 gr / ½ oz of sugar;
4 eggs;
40 gr / 1 ½ oz of all purpose flour, sifted;
1 teaspoon of chili powder;
Cocoa powder, to dust;
Icing sugar, to dust;
4 ceramic ramekins with 7,5 cm / 3 inch diameter.

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 200º C / 392º F;
Slowly melt chocolate and butter using a double boiler method (a small bowl over a pan of simmering water);
Remove from the heat and whisk very well;
Leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes;
Incorporate the eggs, one by one, whisking the mixture very well;
Add sugar, flour and chili and incorporate very well;
Grease the ceramic ramekins with butter and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess;
Divide the chocolate mixture between the ramekins and bake for around 12 minutes in preheated oven to 200ºC / 392ºF – remember, the outer part should be cooked and the inner part still liquid;
Remove from oven and let it cool a bit before removing from the ramekins;
Turn very gently the chili chocolate fondants out on to warmed plates. Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve;
A perfect mach for this dessert will be a vanilla, lemon, orange or passion fruit ice cream or sorbet.