Jalousie Fondants

Forgive the terrible photo: I refused to turn on my flash in the Plantation House Restaurant at the Jalousie Plantation in St. Lucia.

This was one of our favorite desserts in our favorite spot in the world. Order it when you order your food because it takes about 20 minutes to make. They do them one by one, and I learned the hard way that that's the only way to do it. I'll make up the batter in one glass bowl: use it as a double-boiler over a pot of hot water and just dump the rest of everything in. The batter will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days. But it never lasts that long.

8 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I prefer semi-sweet.)
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons Triple Sec (let it run over the spoon a little for extra orange flavor)
Vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream (optional)

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or glass bowl over boiling water (be careful! I always steam burn myself doing this!)
• Remove chocolate mixture from heat.
• Add the flour and sugar to the chocolate mixture.
• Allow the chocolate to cool slightly.
• Carefully and slowly stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. (If the chocolate is too hot, you'll scramble the eggs when you add them. It might help to temper the eggs by adding a spoonful of chocolate to the eggs before stirring them in.)
• Stir in the vanilla and Triple Sec.
• Liberally grease and flour your ramekins. I use the small 3 ounce size because this dessert is so rich.
• Fill the cups to about 1/2 inch to the rim with batter.
• Place the cups in a baking pan for ease of handling.
• Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes for the 4 ounce ramekins, 10-12 minutes for the 3 ounce ramekins.
• The edges should be firm but the very center will be slightly wobbly.
• Run a knife around the edges and a fork up underneath to loosen.
• Carefully invert onto dessert plates and serve with ice cream, mint, and/or raspberries and almond whipped cream.
  

This recipe was derived from the recipe used in an episode of Paula's Deen's Home Cooking: Girl's Night In, and I was thrilled to tweak it and take home a souvenir from the Jalousie's signature dessert. Now if we could only figure out the Scorpion Sting and Cupid's Arrow rum drinks!