Put Christmas leftovers to use with this simple Baileys chocolate fondant

Jonny Burnett, who owned The Post Box Eatery in Claverham until 2017, delivered 17,000 meals to help people who were isolating during the pandemic.

He has now launched a YouTube channel to help people of all abilities to create 'beautiful' meals from the comfort of their own homes.

The talented chef, from Claverham, has shared one of his creations with North Somerset Times readers.

Baileys Chocolate Fondant, by Jonny Burnett...

Chef Jonny Burnett with his Baileys chocolate fondant. (Image: Jonny Burnett)

You do not need to be a Michelin star chef to create show-stopping desserts - with a bit of time and focus, anyone can create that ‘wow factor’ around their dining table using leftovers from Christmas.

It is a beautiful, moreish, decadent treat which, when you try once, will become part of your repertoire for years to come!

You only need 30 minutes to prepare and cook this wonderful dessert, and it can keep in the fridge for up to seven days before you cook it – and the best thing is that you are sure to have all the ingredients needed for it in your kitchen left from the festive period.

The equipment you will need for this recipe are, a hand whisk, metal mixing bowl, pastry brush, baking paper, and Dariole moulds – or any kind of small souffle style mould.

The dish serves seven to eight people.

The entire recipe could be made from Christmas leftovers. (Image: Jonny Burnett)

Ingredients:

(50g melted butter, cocoa powder, for dusting the moulds)

Dark Chocolate (70 per cent or above)

220g Unsalted Butter

215g Caster Sugar

Five Whole Eggs and five Egg Yolks

220g Plain Flour

One tsp Baking Powder

One tsp Ground Cinnamon

Half tsp of salt

130ml Baileys

Method:

1. Cut squares of baking paper which can fit into the bottom of your moulds, and brush the moulds lightly with the melted butter, and then dust with the cocoa powder before placing a baking paper square at the bottom of each mould.

2. Pop the moulds in the fridge, ready for when you need to put the mixture into them.

3. Melt the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl (metal/glass bowl) and pop it over a pan of hot water on the hob, on low heat, make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Give it an occasional mix, this will take seven to 10 minutes to melt together.

4. While the chocolate mixture is melting, crack five eggs into a separate bowl, and add five egg yolks in with the eggs, and then add your sugar. Whisk together for around two minutes to create a creamy texture (this helps to stabilise the fondant).

5. Sieve the flour into a separate bowl, and add the salt, baking powder and cinnamon.

6. When the chocolate and butter has melted, remove from the heat, and add the Baileys in and give it a good mix, and then add the egg and sugar mixture all in one go, and whisk for around one minute until it is fully incorporated.

7. Finally, add in the flour mixture and give a good mix with a wooden spoon for a further minute until it is all completely combined.

8. Grab the moulds out the fridge which you prepared at the beginning, and then ladle the mixture into the moulds, you want to fill the moulds around three-quarters of the way to the top.

9. When you want to cook the fondants, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and then cook the fondant mixture for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes bring them out of the oven, and allow to cool slightly for one minute.

Run a teaspoon between the sides of the fondant and the mould, to help free it up, before turning the mould upside down over your plate. When you stick your spoon in to eat this wonderful dessert, you should get a delightful gooey chocolate and baileys mixture come oozing out!

I recommend serving this dish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Find more recipes just like this on my YouTube channel ‘Cooking with Jonny Burnett’ and on my Instagram @chefjonnyburnett, or contact me by email on chefjonnyburnett@gmail.com