Chocolate fudge pudding

Serves 6 You will need:

• 175g dark chocolate

• 150g butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 150ml warm water

• 110g caster sugar

• 4 eggs

• 25g self-raising flour, sifted • Pinch of cream of tartar • Icing sugar, to dust

1

Butter a one-litre pie dish. Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6.

2

Make a bain-marie by putting a wide pan or roasting tin — one big enough for the pie dish to sit into — in the oven, with about 3cm of water in it. This protects the pudding from the harsh heat and prevents it drying out.

3

Next, place the chocolate, the butter, the vanilla extract, the water and the caster sugar in a bowl sitting over a saucepan with some water in it and on a medium heat on the hob. Ensure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Bring the water almost to the boil, then remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to melt.

4

Separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in one bowl, then whisk the yolks into the melted chocolate mixture.

5

6

Gently whisk the sifted flour into the chocolate mixture. Now, using a hand whisk or an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites with the pinch of cream of tartar until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold this into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the buttered pie dish. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3 and cook for a further 10-20 minutes. See Tip for cooking individual ramekins. The pudding should feel spongey on top, but have a fudgy chocolate sauce underneath. Cool a little and dredge with icing sugar. Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Double-chocolate fudge pudding

Add 125g white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate) to the mixture at the same time as the egg whites.

Chocolate and orange fudge pudding

Add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the egg yolks in the pudding.