Hazelnut and Cinnamon Chocolate Coulant with a Caramel Heart

Only a few hours separate us from the new year, and if you are celebrating at home with family and friends, I suggest an easy dessert that is guaranteed to satisfy everyone, especially chocolate lovers. 

As you probably have little time on your hands and would rather spend it with your loved ones instead of in the kitchen, any dessert you prepare should be quick, easy and of course tasty! This is exactly what this coulant recipe delivers as you'll need few ingredients, a couple of bowls and a whisk. If you want to save more time on new year's eve, you can prepare everything the night before and bake when you're ready to serve.  

For 4 servings you need:

• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 150 g dark chocolate
• 30 g toasted and chopped hazelnut
• 15 g hazelnut paste (optional but preferable if you can find it)
• 50 g sugar
• 30 g flour
• 50 g butter 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of cinnamon
• dash of salt
• 60 g caramel, you can use store bought or make your own.

First start by melting your chocolate in a bain-marie or microwave. Once melted add the butter and the hazelnut paste and let them melt with the heat of chocolate. 
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, salt  and cinnamon then add the sugar and beat well until is combined.

Slowly add the chocolate to the egg mixture and mix well, then add the flour and the chopped hazelnuts and mix again until all is well combined.

Grease your ramequins and cover them with cocoa powder, pour some of the batter then put about a tablespoon of caramel then cover it with more batter. Fill only two thirds of the ramequin.

Heat your oven to 240 C, and place the ramequins in the fridge for at least 15 min. Bake the coulant for 10 min, take out and leave it to cool for 5 min then serve it with a sprinkle of sea salt. 

You can make the batter days ahead and freeze it. The day before serving, remove from the freezer and put in the fridge. On the day of serving, all you need to do is bake as instructed previously. 

I wish you a wonderful and sweet end of the year and a bright and delicious start of 2018! Happy New Year!

For caramel sauce recipes click: here, here, here and here