Banana and chocolate dumplings with maple caramel sauce

Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour

35g butter

2 tbs maple syrup

2 tbs milk

1 banana, sliced into 12 rounds 40g dark chocolate, cut into 12 cubes

Thickened cream, to serve MAPLE CARAMEL SAUCE: 20g butter cup brown sugar cup maple syrup 1 tbs lemon juice 1⁄2 1⁄4

Method

Place flour in a large bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Whisk maple syrup and milk together. Add to flour mixture.

Using a wooden spoon, mix to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 12 batches (one level tablespoon each).

With floured hands, press dough into a 5cm round. Place a piece of banana and chocolate in centre and pinch edges of dough together to enclose filling. Roll to form a ball (make sure chocolate and banana are not poking out).

To make syrup, place butter, sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice and one cup of cold water in a large saucepan over low heat.

Cook, stirring, for two to three minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium.

Carefully add dumplings to the syrup (they will only be partly submerged). Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until puffed and cooked through.

Serve with syrup and cream. Recipe by Lucy Nunes Photo by Craig Wall