Melt-in-the-middle Chocolate Puddings
With just 1 week until Twist is published, I'm treating you to a little taster of what the book holds! It also happens to be National Chocolate Day here in the UK, which in my opinion is definitely the best 'national day', and one worth celebrating.
These chocolate puddings are insanely good. They are still one of my favourite puddings, and providing you get the timing right, getting that deliciously gooey centre really isn't that hard. This recipe featured in YOU magazine this week where I was (quite ridiculously) the cover star! It was certainly one of the most surreal post-GBBO experiences - complete with a stylist and my first shoot with no food involved. They even got me on a bike...
They published 6 of my recipes from Twist (see here) in a beautiful spread. Here is the chocolate pudding recipe:
Melt in the Middle Chocolate Puddings
When I was 15, I made these puddings in a cookery competition, during which I was so engrossed in watching them bake that I left my oven gloves on an open hob and they caught fire. The entire school, judges and all, had to be evacuated. Much to my surprise and the other contestants’ annoyance, I still managed to achieve second place and since then this dessert never fails to put a smile on my face. The combination of deep chocolate flavour and molten centre makes this the ultimate indulgent dessert. I serve mine with fresh berries to cut through the richness.
MAKES 8
125g butter, plus extra for greasing
cocoa powder, to dust
200g dark chocolate, about 70 per cent cocoa, chopped
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
100g caster sugar
25g plain flour
cream and berries, to serve
TWIST
Try experimenting with different fillings! Push a few berries into the centre of each one before cooking, or try dropping in a teaspoonful of peanut butter or dulce de leche. A soft fondant mint or a Lindor chocolate ball also work really well.
1 You will need eight mini pudding or dariole moulds and an electric hand-held whisk. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Liberally butter the mini moulds and lightly dust the insides with cocoa powder. This makes the puddings easier to turn out once they are cooked. Cut a small circle of baking parchment the same size as the top of the moulds and place inside each one to stop the puddings sticking.
2 Melt the butter and chopped dark chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir together until there are no lumps of either remaining and the mixture is smooth.
3 Crack the eggs into another large bowl and add the extra yolks and the sugar. Use an electric hand-held whisk to whisk the mixture until it is thick, fluffy and very pale in colour. Fold in the melted chocolate using a spatula, then sift over the flour and mix well to combine. Don’t worry if you knock out the air; you don’t want the puddings to rise like a soufflé.
4 Spoon the mixture into the prepared moulds, filling each one two-thirds full. At this point, you could add a flavoured centre; see Twist above for a few ideas.
5 Bake the puddings for 8-10 minutes. When they are ready, there should be a thin crust on the top but the centre should still have a slight wobble.
6 Leave the puddings to stand for 2 minutes before turning out. I run a small palette knife around the inside edge of each mould to loosen it slightly. If they do not turn out properly, or you want to play it safe, you can always serve the puddings in the mould and just dive straight in with a spoon. Serve with a nice dollop of cream and a few fresh berries.
