Fondant fantasies

I've always been a little bit too scared to make a fondant because if they go wrong it's a massive failure. But recently they made them in a masterclass on Masterchef (amazing show!) and went through how to make them perfectly. So it was time to conquer it and I managed to do it! I love cooking achievements! There was no written recipe on the show but I wrote it down as they said what to do, and here is what I got. 


Chocolate fondant

Makes 6


200g dark chocolate
200g butter
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
150g flour


1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate and butter. 
3. Beat eggs and sugar in mixer until creamy and foamy.
4. Sift flour. 
5. Pour egg mix over chocolate mix in bowl, fold through.
6. Add flour gradually and mix in. 
7. Butter the moulds, then dust with cocoa powder, putting a circle of buttered baking paper on the bottom of each mould. 
8. Cook for 8* minutes. 


*They stressed 8 minutes on the show, but mine needed a bit longer as they were barely cooked on the outside by that time. My advice is to give one of the moulds a little shake. If it wobbles like jelly put it back in, but if it just wobbles a bit then it should be about right. 

Soup to save the soul

This post begins with a short whinge. I'm sick. My boyfriend is on the other side of the world, my parents have gone away for the week and there's no one to look after me. The only thing one can do in these situations is make chicken soup. It's easy, it's warming and it makes you feel a whole lot better. This particular soup is one I've made many times and have never bothered to stray from the recipe because it's so damn easy and it tastes fantastic. I've had it saved in a document called Recipes on my computer for years and had no recollection of where it came from. But just for you I have managed to hunt it down and the link is here if you wish to see the recipe at its original source, Nestlé's recipe page. Hope you like it as much as I do!


Creamy Chicken Sweet Corn Soup 

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, chopped
1 chicken fillet, diced
4 button mushrooms, sliced
310g can creamed corn
130g can corn kernals
2 cups water
1 tbsp chicken stock powder, or 1 cube
2 tsp cornflour
2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 evaporated milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 spring onions, sliced

1. Heat oil in pan, add onion, cook 2 minutes. Add chicken, cook 2 minutes. 
2. Add mushroom, corn and combined water and stock powder, cornflour and soy sauce. Stir until soup comes to boil, stir in evaporated milk and return to boil. 
3. Remove from heat, stir in beaten egg, and garnish with spring onion.

I also add black pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan on top, but that's because I'm a cheese whore - it's not necessary!