CHOCOLATE PUDDINGWITH HOT CHOC SAUCE

CHRISTMAS pudding isn’t for everyone and, even though I have faith in my pudding’s ability to convert (see Sunday’s pullout), there’s no point nagging or, indeed, fighting against real, die-hard antipathies. Besides, I have never met a child who likes Christmas pudding, and it seems unfair not to give a treat to everyone. SERVES 10 TO 16 AS PART OF THE CHRISTMAS FEAST, OR 8 TO 10 IF NOT

FOR THE PUDDING:

175g soft butter 1.7 l, or 3-pint, heatproof plastic pudding basin with lid 175g plain flour 40g cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 175g caster sugar 60ml plain yoghurt 3 eggs 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE:

125g milk chocolate, chopped 125g dark chocolate, chopped 250ml double cream 75g golden syrup 4 tsp vanilla extract

1 BUTTER your heatproof plastic pudding basin, remembering to grease the lid, too. Make sure you have adequate boiling water in a pan (or a conventional steamer) on the hob to steam the chocolate pudding. Put the flour and cocoa powder into a processor and blitz to get rid of any lumps. Add all the remaining pudding ingredients to the processor and blitz, for longer this time, to mix. Take the lid off, scrape it down, then put the lid back on for 3 more long pulses.

2 SCRAPE the chocolate batter into the prepared basin, smooth it down (the batter will come only halfway up the basin) and put on the lid. Wrap the basin tightly in foil, so no water can possibly get in, and steam in the boiling water in the pan or steamer for 1½ hours (by which time the pudding will have risen to about 4cm below the lid). To cook it for longer will do no harm.

3 TO MAKE the sauce — which can easily be done before you eat and reheated just before you serve the pudding — put all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and place over a gentle heat to melt. Stir every now and again and then, at the very end, off the heat, whisk to combine smoothly.

4 WHEN the pudding is ready, remove it carefully from the pan or steamer without burning yourself, then unwrap from its foil casing, unclick and remove the lid. Put a plate, or a stand that has a slight lip, on top, flip both upside down so plate and pudding are the right way up, and wiggle off the basin. Pour some hot sauce over the pudding, so that it just covers the top and falls in glossy, licking drips down the side, and pour the rest of the sauce into a jug or bowl to be served with a spoon.