RICH CHOCOLATE SELFSAUCING PUDDING

SERVES 8

I’m sure this oldie is every kid’s favourite pudding. It’s the luscious, smooth, chocolate-rich sauce hiding under a dark chocolate sponge that, when the cream is poured on, swirling into the sauce and soaking into the spongy top, scores high on the preferred pudding ratings.

Rather than use the oven, prepare this pudding in the slow cooker. It’s an ideal way to make a dessert to take out, or to have for a bigger gathering such as your kid’s sports team or a sleepover. The alcohol will cook out of the rum or liqueur; however, for an alcohol-free recipe use only water.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups self-raising flour

¼ cup cocoa

100g butter, chilled and diced 1 cup sugar

2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla essence

3½ cups boiling water

½ cup dark rum or coffee liqueur 1 cup sugar

¼ cup cocoa

1 Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.

2 Sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.

3 Beat the milk, eggs and vanilla together and mix into the dry ingredients using a holed spoon to form a stiff batter.

4 Into the pre-warmed slow cooker put the boiling water, the rum or coffee liqueur, sugar and cocoa and stir to dissolve the cocoa.

5 Carefully spoon the batter evenly into the slow cooker and cover with the lid. Cook on high for 1 hour.

6 Turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for a further 1 hour. Then serve hot with ice cream and cream.