Chocolate Volcanos – Dani Valent

Gooey chocolatey goodness in a luscious pudding: who knew bliss was this easy?

The hardest thing about making this video was not eating the mixture! These Chocolate Volcanos are delicious, indulgent and surprisingly easy to make.

So called because they spill with chocolate ‘lava’, my puddings are based on a recipe which legendary French chef Michel Bras concocted in 1981. The story goes that his family were warming up with a round of hot chocolates after a chilly skiing excursion in bitter weather. As they sipped the warm drinks, their blood – and conversation and laughter – started to flow again. Michel Bras began work on a chocolate dessert which replicated this cheery confluence of hot and cold in chocolate form. He came up with a biscuit dough that’s stuffed with frozen chocolate ganache: when cooked, the chocolate flows again.

The dish has been copied, claimed and developed by countless famous chefs, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Raymond Blanc and Gordon Ramsay. My recipe borrows from the classic, with a little Nigella inspiration too.

This recipe features in the A Bit Cheffy menu of my Thermomix book and chip, Entertaining with Dani Valent.

Serves: 8
Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 150 grams (5 oz) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra (melted) for greasing
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 350 grams (12.3 oz) dark chocolate,  broken into pieces
  • 150 grams (5 oz) brown sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 75 grams (2.6 oz) plain flour
  • 400 grams (14 oz) pouring (whipping) cream
  • 150 grams (5 oz) fresh raspberries, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Grease 8 ramekins or dariole moulds  (125 ml / 4.2 oz) with a little melted butter. Divide cocoa powder between ramekins or moulds (½ teaspoon each) and rotate to coat bottom and sides evenly. Set aside.

2. Place chocolate into mixing bowl and grate 5 sec/speed 8. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.

3. Add butter, sugar and salt and melt 4 min/60°C (140°F)/speed 2.

4. Mix 2 min/speed 4, slowly adding eggs and yolks, one at a time through hole in mixing bowl lid, until combined.

5. Add vanilla bean paste and flour and mix 20 sec/speed 3.5 or until batter is smooth.

6. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula and mix 5 sec/speed 4. Divide mixture between prepared ramekins, leaving a 5 mm (0.2 in) space at the top. Place into refrigerator to cool for 20 minutes. Clean and dry mixing bowl.

7. Place ramekins onto a baking tray (30 x 40 cm / 12 x 16 in) and bake for 12 minutes (200°C / 390°F) or until top is smooth and crusty and springs back when pressed gently. Allow volcanos to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, whip cream.

8. Insert Butterfly whisk. Place cream into mixing bowl and whip 45 sec/speed 3 or until soft peaks form, watching carefully through hole in mixing bowl lid to avoid overwhipping. Remove Butterfly whisk.

9. Turn out volcanos onto serving plates and serve with whipped cream and raspberries.

Tips

  • Filled, uncooked ramekins can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to two days or even frozen. Place into the refrigerator to defrost fully, then bake as per step 7.

Variation

  • Use milk chocolate if dark chocolate isn’t your thing.
  • If you have my Entertaining book, you could try serving the volcanos with the Cherry sauce from the Christmas Pavlova Towers, or the White chocolate powder from the Mango Truffles recipe.

Want more chocolate? Check out my ‘How Chocolate Is Made – Bean to Bar Tour with Debb Makin from Ratio Cocoa Roasters and try these decadent Orange, Cardamom & Pistachio Truffles.

While you’re swimming in this sea of chocolate, try these Double Chocolate Pretzel Cookies – they are super chocolatey with a savoury hit from the pretzels. Or how about my little squares of joy – Chocolate Mousse Brownies.

Did you know Dani Valent gift vouchers are available right here? They make the perfect present for the Thermo-lover in your life.

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