Self-saucing chocolate pudding

These little chocolate cakes cook very quickly to retain an oozy, almost uncooked centre. For a fun variation, push a square of white chocolate into the middle of the dough before baking.

Credit: Hardie Grant

• makes

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  12 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 150 g dark chocolate
• 150 g butter
• 50 g plain flour
• 100 g icing sugar
• 150 g egg (3 eggs)

For this recipe you will need 6 x 8cm dessert rings.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Line 6 x 8 cm dessert rings with baking paper, with the paper sticking out above the ring (see Note). Put them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Melt the chocolate with the butter over a water bath (see Note). 

In another stainless-steel bowl, mix the flour and the icing sugar. Gradually add the egg, using a whisk to avoid lumps. Add the melted butter and chocolate.

Pour the mixture into the prepared rings. Bake for 8–12 minutes. The middle should be darker than the edges.

  

Note

• Lining a tin or mould is indispensable for some desserts, to avoid the preparation sticking to the sides. Use acetate cake band (quite rigid plastic) or baking paper. Acetate cake band is better for mousse-based desserts because it doesn’t wrinkle. Cut it 2 cm longer than the circumference of the mould. Use 4 cm or 6 cm wide cake band depending on the dessert. If you use baking paper, grease the mould lightly so that the paper sticks. The cake band will stick by itself.

• A water bath (bain-marie) heats ingredients with steam rather than direct contact with a heat source. The heat on the mixtures is less intense, which means it heats them gently. This prevents chocolate from burning or eggs from coagulating. Take a large saucepan and a stainless-steel bowl that will rest on the edge without being in contact with the water. Put water in the saucepan and heat it (it must be simmering). Put the ingredient/s in the bowl and the bowl on the saucepan, double-checking it does not touch the water.

Recipes and images from Patisserie by Mélanie Dupuis and Anne Cazor (Hardie Grant, $59.95 hbk).

View our Readable feasts review and more recipes from the book here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.