These tiny, gooey chocolate gateaus are served straight from the oven. Drizzle them with cream, ice cream and other goodies to make a rich yet elegant dessert.
| Preparation time: 40 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes |
| Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Moderate |
Ingredients
For the moelleux:
- 100g/3½ oz/⅔ cup of dairy free dark chocolate
- 100g/3½ oz/just under ½ cup of plant based margarine, plus extra for greasing
- 100g/3½ oz/½ cup of caster sugar
- 10 tablespoons of aquafaba
- 100g/3½ oz/⅞ cup of plain flour
- Cocoa powder
For decoration:
- Salted caramel sauce (optional)
- Ice cream (optional)
- Icing sugar (optional)
- Whipped plant based cream (optional)
Special equipment
- Four or five ramekins
- Two large mixing bowls
- A pastry brush
- A sieve
- A spatula
- An electric whisk
- A small saucepan
- A knife
- A baking tray
Method
- Use a pastry brush to brush the ramekins with margarine. Pop the ramekins in the freezer for fifteen minutes so the margarine freezes a little, then use the pastry brush to apply a second layer of margarine.
- Spoon a little cocoa powder into the ramekins and shake them about, so the margarine is covered with a thin coating of cocoa powder. Pour out any excess cocoa powder that hasn’t stuck to the margarine. Return the ramekins to the freezer.
- Set a saucepan over a medium heat and add 200ml water. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the chocolate and margarine to a heatproof mixing bowl and set it over the pan of water. Make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Leave the chocolate and margarine to heat up for a few minutes, until they have melted. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool down a little.
- Pour the aquafaba into a separate clean mixing bowl and whisk it with an electric whisk until it’s pale and very foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk for a few minutes more.
- Sift the flour into the aquafaba and add the melted chocolate and butter. Use a spatula to gently beat everything together until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mixture into the ramekins and return them to the freezer for half an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
- When ready, place the ramekins on a baking tray and place them in the oven. Cook for ten to fifteen minutes, or until the moelleux have formed a crust and begun to pull away from the ramekins. Remove from the oven.
- Leave the moelleux for a minute or two, then use a knife to gently separate them from the ramekins. Place serving plates over the ramekins and gently invert both, shaking them up and down slightly to thoroughly dislodge the moelleux, before pulling away the ramekins.
- Sift a little icing sugar and/or cocoa powder over the moelleux, drizzle them with salted caramel sauce, and spoon over a little whipped cream or ice cream. Serve immediately.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips
- If you are making these as a dinner party dessert, it’s a good idea to double the quantity so you have a few extra moelleux. That way, when you think they’re nearly ready you can remove a ‘test’ moelleux from the oven and check that you’re able to invert it onto a serving plate without the outer crust collapsing.
Background
Pronunciation: (Molloo ochockoolah)
Home: France
Relatives: Petit gâteau (France), Death by Chocolate (U.S.), Soufflé (France)
European Kitchen 
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