Gordon Ramsay fondue cookies are thick, buttery cookies with a molten dark chocolate center that oozes when you break them open. Made with brown sugar cookie dough wrapped around frozen chocolate ganache, they take about 30 minutes and serve 12.
This recipe is adapted from two dishes in Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen: his Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies and his Chocolate Fondants. Ramsay says the fondant trick is “all in the timing, so once 15 minutes of the cooking time has passed, check the fondants by shaking them gently.” That same principle drives these cookies.
The technique that holds it together: freezing the ganache center solid before wrapping it in dough. If the chocolate is soft when it goes in the oven, it melts into the dough and you get a regular cookie. Frozen ganache stays molten inside while the dough sets around it.
Gordon Ramsay Fondue Cookies Recipe
Course: DessertsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy12
20
minutes10
280
kcalA 12-cookie adaptation that combines Ramsay’s brown sugar cookie base with his bain-marie chocolate technique. The ganache centers need two hours in the freezer before assembly, so plan that step first.
Ingredients
- For the Ganache Centers
3 1/2 oz (100g) dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), chopped
3 tbsp (45ml) heavy cream (double cream)
1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
- For the Cookie Dough
1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (180g) light brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- To Serve
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Directions
- Make the ganache centers: Put the chocolate, cream, and butter into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Stir until melted and smooth, then remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes. Spoon 12 small mounds (about 1 tsp each) onto a parchment-lined tray and freeze for at least 2 hours until completely solid. This is the step you cannot skip, because soft ganache disappears into the dough during baking.
- Make the cookie dough: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C / 180°C fan). Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Mix in the beaten egg and vanilla, then sift over the flour and salt and fold in until just combined. Do not overwork the dough or gluten develops and you lose that soft center texture.
- Assemble: Take a golf-ball sized piece of dough, flatten it in your palm, and press one frozen ganache ball into the center. Wrap the dough around it completely, sealing the edges so no chocolate peeks through. Roll gently into a ball. Place on greased baking sheets about 5 cm (2 inches) apart. Work quickly so the ganache stays frozen.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden around the edges and still soft in the middle. The surface will look slightly underdone, which is correct. The cookies set further as they cool. Pull them at the first sign of golden edges, not after.
- Finish and serve: Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve warm while the center is still molten. Crack one open at the table, because the chocolate flow is the whole point.
FAQs
Why freeze the ganache instead of just using chocolate chips?
Chocolate chips melt flat and absorb into the dough, so you end up with a regular chocolate cookie. Frozen ganache holds its shape long enough for the cookie dough to set around it during baking. Pull the tray at 10-12 minutes and the center stays liquid while the shell firms up.
Why does Ramsay melt chocolate over simmering water instead of microwaving?
A bain-marie gives you slow, even heat, which prevents the cocoa butter from splitting. Ramsay uses this in every fondant recipe across three of his books because direct heat scorches chocolate fast. If you do microwave, use 20-second bursts and stir between each one.
Why brown sugar instead of white in the cookie dough?
Brown sugar has molasses, which adds moisture and chew. White sugar makes cookies crispier and more spread-prone, which is wrong for this recipe since you need a thick wall to hold the ganache. Ramsay’s original Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies use light brown sugar for the same reason.
How do you know when these are done if the center is supposed to be soft?
Watch the edges only. When they turn light gold and the surface looks slightly puffed but not glossy, pull them immediately. Ramsay’s fondant test works here too: “shake them gently” and if only the center moves, they’re ready. Overbaking by even two minutes turns your molten center into fudge.
Can I add walnuts like Ramsay’s original cookie recipe?
Chopped walnuts work well folded into the dough, which is how Ramsay builds his original in Bread Street Kitchen. Keep the pieces small so they don’t tear through the dough when you wrap the ganache. If you want a simpler version, his chocolate fondant recipe delivers the same molten hit without the cookie shell.
What if the chocolate doesn’t flow when I break the cookie open?
Two reasons: either the ganache wasn’t frozen solid before wrapping, or you overbaked by a few minutes. Make sure each ganache ball is rock-hard before it touches the dough. If your oven runs hot, drop the temp to 375°F (190°C) and check at 10 minutes. For a cookie without a filling, his chocolate chip cookies use the same brown sugar base and bake in under 10 minutes.
I’m Ava Taylor. I’m A Self-taught Home Cook Who Loves Gordon Ramsay Recipes. I Try Every Dish In My Small Apartment Kitchen And Tweak It Until It Works. I Write Clear Steps With Simple Words So Anyone Can Follow. I Share Honest Wins, Mistakes, And Quick Tips To Help You Cook With Confidence.