Naughty Chocolate Puddings
These are the ultimate chocolate desserts; I made them for one friend and she was almost in tears! Soft sponge on the outside and hot chocolate goo on the inside.......yum. This superb recipe is taken from Nigella Lawson's book, How To Be A Domestic Goddess. Serves 5.
50g soft unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
300g best dark chocolate (the best and cheapest I've found is Euroshopper Plain Chocolate from Bonus, but stock up on 70%+ cocoa next time you're in duty free)
150g caster sugar
4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g plain or Italian 00 flour
6 individual pudding moulds (see what they look like below)
baking paper
Unless you are making these in advance, preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6, putting in a baking sheet at the same time. Lay 3 of the moulds on a sheet of doubled baking paper. Draw round them, remove, and then cut out the discs as marked. Grease the tins with butter and press them all into the base of the tins.
Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly. You can either whack it in the microwave or melt it in a glass bowl over a small saucepan with boiling water; either way make sure it doesn't burn by adding enough milk or water to keep it fluid. Cream together the butter and sugar, and gradually beat in the eggs and salt, then the vanilla. Now add the flour, and when all is smoothly combined scrape in the cooled chocolate, blending it to a smooth batter.
Divide the batter between the 6 moulds, quickly whip the baking sheet out of the oven, arrange the little tins on it and replace in the oven. Cook for 10-12 minutes (the extra 2 minutes will be needed if the puddings are fridge-cold when you start) and as soon as you take them out of the oven, tip one out onto a small plates or shallow bowl. If it collapses it means the rest need a couple more minutes to firm up the edges - there should be a small centre of hot chocolate! Serve these with double cream, crème fraiche or ice cream or for those of you in Iceland, with lightly whipped plain skyr with a splash of milk and teaspoon of sugar.
These ones went wrong! The oven was far too hot and they erupted their gooey centre all over the tray......oops!