Hot Chocolate Lava Puddle

How could we describe this dessert?

It's like thick, hot chocolate meets chocolate sauce meets chocolate fondue meets chocolate creme pot meets seriously underbaked but still deliciously gooey chocolate fondant.

Hot Chocolate Lava Puddle is a bit of an unusual dessert. It's like potage. It's like a chocolate potage! Perhaps that's what we should have called it. Or warm chocolate cake batter (but without the flour!)

The inspiration for this recipe came from a dessert served at a dinner party where the host called it Molten Chocolate Magic! We were given the gist of how it was made, and with a few tweaks and adjustments, we came up with Hot Chocolate Lava Puddle!

At Frengellica we know the importance of healthy eating, but we also say a little bit of everything in moderation. And while some may argue that this dessert is not good for the body, most of us will declare that it's great for the soul!

Here's the recipe if you'd like to try and create this little piece of chocolate heaven!

Hot Chocolate Lava Puddle

SERVES :6

PREP: 15 MINS

COOK: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

50g butter

1 cup condensed milk

75g milk chocolate, broken into squares

25g dark chocolate. broken into squares

50g cocoa

1 tbsp. strong black coffee

1 tsp, Vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp treacle/honey/golden syrup/maple syrup

2 large eggs, separated

75g demerara sugar

1/2 cup clotted cream or mascarpone

Whipped/Chantilly/clotted cream or mascarpone to serve

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT:

1. Heat oven to 150C, Gas 2.

2. Melt butter and chocolates with condensed milk and coffee in a small pan over a low heat.

3. Remove from the heat, and stir in cocoa, syrup, vanilla extract, egg yolks and 1/2 cup cream or mascarpone until mixed well.

4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff.

5. Gradually whisk sugar into egg whites.

6. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.

7. Divide mixture among 6 heatproof cups or ramekins.

8. Put on a tray and bake in oven for 10-12 mins until a thin crust forms on the top. Mixture under the crust should still be runny.

9. Top each one with a large spoonful of cream or mascarpone.

10. Serve straight away!

VARIATIONS

This dessert is delicious as it is but there are many ways in which you can flavour it or serve it if you want to zhuzje it up a little more.

• Try using white chocolate instead of the milk and dark. If you're using white chocolate, omit the coffee.

• You could also use flavoured chocolate: mint, orange, rose, sea salt, or chilli if you're feeling brave enough!

• For some texture, you could add some crushed honeycomb, maltesers/whoppers, nut brittle, candied orange peel, freeze dried fruit etc.

• If you wish, you could substitute the vanilla extract for almond essence, peppermint extract, orange or rosewater water.

• Add spices like ground ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg.

• Serve with a selection of dippers - fruit, marshmallows, shortbread etc. - for a mini fondue-esque dessert.

• If you add 75g of plain flour and leave this dessert in the oven for longer, you'll get a chocolate fondant pudding. Just make sure it's still got the gooey centre!

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