Friday, August 8, 2008

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding


There is something about winter that makes you feel the need to spoil yourself. Whether that means another long hot bath with a current book, or sneaking an extra ten minutes doona-time in the morning, it is definitely how I sustain myself through the chilly season. And then there is, of course, chocolate....

Somehow chocolate to me is much more a winter food than a summer one. Lovely crisp bites of Lindt in winter vs. warm and slightly melted in summer? No competition. Summer is for icy desserts and fruit; winter for warm puddings. Even better, warm molten chocolate puddings. This one is from Bill Granger's "Bill's Food", and, like most of his recipes, it is dead easy, and very good.

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding For 4
adapted from "Bill's Food" by Bill Granger
1 cup plain flour
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 tsps baking powder
4 tbls cocoa powder
1 cup milk
85g unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
topping
1 cup soft brown sugar
2 tbls cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
thickened cream to serve
Preheat the oven to 180c, and butter four pudding moulds (or coffee cups or mugs if you don't have moulds). Sift flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the milk, butter, egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Pour into the moulds.
To make the topping, stir the brown sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl to combine then sprinkle it over the pudding batter, creating quite a thick crust. Do not worry that it is too thick, this will melt down to become the sauce. Pour boiling water carefully and evenly over puddings, then bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with thick cream.

2 comments:

Megan said...

Hi Suzie,

Jason told me about your website and i have spent the best of 2 days looking at it getting more and more hungry by the minute.

Im cooking the self saucing pudding on Friday night for the family and was wondering where i put the hot water? Does it go IN the ramikin with the mixture or does it go into a baking dish and then you put the ramikins into it so it steams? I only ask cause many other recipes i have seen they go into the baking dish of water. Im a first time baker so im lost! Thanks Suzie

Suzie said...

Hi Megan
This one is one where you pour water directly into the mugs and this is what becomes the sauce. The mugs then sit on a rack in the oven, not in a water bath. Hope this helps!