Chocolate and Beetroot Steamed Puddings

These hidden-ingredient puddings are fluffy and delicious. Feel free to serve with a hot chocolate sauce instead of the crème fraîche for something a little more indulgent.

Hands-on time 30min, plus cooling. Cooking time about

45min. Makes 6  150g (5oz) unsalted butter, plus extra, softened, to grease  150g (5oz) raw beetroot, peeled and halved  200g (7oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped  3 medium eggs  1tsp vanilla bean paste  100ml (31/2fl oz) agave syrup  150g (5oz) self-raising flour FOR THE ORANGE CRÈME FRAÎCHE  150g (5oz) half-fat crème fraîche  1tbsp agave syrup  Finely grated zest 1 orange  1/2tsp vanilla bean paste

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease 6 dariole moulds well with butter and chill until needed. Whizz beetroot in a food processor to fine shreds. Set aside.

2 Melt butter and chocolate in a large pan over low heat. Set aside to cool for 5min before mixing in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the agave syrup, flour, beetroot and a pinch of salt until combined. Divide between prepared moulds.

3 Cut 6 rough 10cm (4in) squares of foil and fold a 1cm (1/2in) pleat in the centre of each. Cover each mould with a square of foil and crimp the edges on to the mould to seal. Put moulds in a large roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come 2cm (3/4in) up the sides of the moulds. Cover the tin with foil, then bake for 40min, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a pudding comes out clean. Carefully remove the moulds from the roasting tin and leave to cool on a wire rack for 5min.

4 Meanwhile, mix all the crème fraîche ingredients in a small bowl. Invert puddings on to dessert plates and serve with the crème fraîche. PER PUDDING 593cals, 9g protein, 36g fat (22g saturates), 57g carbs (37g total sugars), 3g fibre