James Martin’s hot chocolate fondants

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Finely grate 40g of the chocolate. Rub a little of the butter all over the inside of 6 dariole moulds (about 125ml). Dust well with the grated chocolate, shaking out and reserving any excess. Set aside on a baking tray.
2. Melt the remaining chocolate (including any reserved gratings) and the butter in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, or in a microwave-proof bowl in the microwave on full power for 2-3 minutes, stirring once. Do not overheat or the chocolate will seize (turn solid). Scrape this into a bigger bowl, then beat in the almonds, egg yolks and cornflour.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a separate clean bowl until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Gradually beat in the caster sugar – you may want to use an electric whisk for this.
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4. Carefully fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture. Spoon half of the resulting mixture into the base of the moulds, place a truffle on top, then cover and fill the moulds with the remainder. Smooth the tops.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until risen and slightly wobbly. Turn the fondants out onto plates and serve warm with a jug of cream.