Gordon Ramsay's Chocolate Fondant

Caramel Sauce
250g caster sugar
142ml pot double cream
50g butter

Tip the sugar into a heavy based frying pan, stir in 4 tb water, then place over a med heat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bubble for 4-5mins until you have caramel. Take off the heat, then carefully stir in the cream and butter. Leave the sauce to cool, then tip into a squeezy bottle.

Chocolate fondant
50g melted butter for brushing
cocoa powder for dusting
200g good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
200g butter, in small pieces
200g golden caster sugar
4 eggs and 4 yolks
200g plain flour
caramel sauce (see above) and vanilla ice cream to serve

Prepare the moulds:
Using upward strokes, heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge or freezer. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa back into the jar, then repeat with the next mould.

Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. remove bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. leave to cool for about 10mins.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift the flour into the eggs, then beat together.

Pour in the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.

Tip the fondant batter into a jug, then evenly divide between the 9 moulds (150ml ramekins). The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. Chill for at least 20mins or up to the night before.

Heat oven to 200/fan 180. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their moulds. For frozen puddings, bake an extra 5 mins. Remove from oven, then leave to sit for 1 min before turning out.

Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the moulds. Tip each fondant slightly onto your hand so you know it has come away, then tip back into the mould ready to plate up.

Plating up:
Starting from the middle of each plate (use white dinner plates), squeeze a spiral of caramel sauce - do all the plates you need before you go onto the next stage

Sit a fondant in the middle of each plate. using a large spoon dipped in hot water, scoop a 'quenelle' of ice cream. Carefully place the ice cream on top of the fondant, then serve immediately. Repeat with the rest of the fondants.

Tip: The caramel sauce can be prepared a week ahead. For a boozy version, add a generous splash of Baileys to the melted chocolate.