PETITS FONDANTS AU CHOCOLAT (LITTLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKES)

Petits Fondants au Chocolat (Little Chocolate Mousse Cakes) image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 1h10m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 15

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Framboise
4 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
Milk chocolate shavings
Confectioners' sugar
One 1/2 pint basket fresh raspberries
One 10-ounce package frozen raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoons Framboise (raspberry eau de vie)
24 miniature muffin pans or other small molds, buttered and the bottoms lined with parchment or waxed paper

Steps:

Set racks at the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
Melt the chocolate over hot water, stirring occasionally then set it aside to cool slightly. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure all the sugar crystals dissolve. Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the butter. When it has melted stir in the Framboise, then the melted chocolate.
Beat the eggs then whisk them into the chocolate mixture in a stream.
Be careful not to overmix. Pour the batter into the molds and bake about 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool briefly in the pans then unmold. Cool at room temperature. Whip the cream with the sugar until it holds a soft peak. Pipe a rosette of the whipped cream on each tiny cake and top with a few chocolate shavings and a light dusting of confectioners' sugar. Place 2 or 3 raspberries around the top of each.
For the raspberry sauce, bring the raspberries and sugar to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Puree in blender then strain away seeds. Cool and stir in Framboise. Serve the Fondants in a puddle of the sauce.