Chocolate fudge pudding with toasted hazelnuts and Frangelico cream

1 HOUR | SERVES 6-8 | EASY

This chocolate pudding is wickedly rich with a melting texture. It should be moist and gooey in the centre, so don’t overcook it or it will be disappointing and dull. This one is also surprisingly good served cold.

chocolate 150g (I use 52% cocoa solids) unsalted butter 150g, plus extra for the dish vanilla extract 1 tsp caster sugar 100g eggs 4 self-raising flour 25g, sifted

TO SERVE icing sugar to dust softly whipped cream or crème fraîche 225ml mixed with 1 tbsp Frangelico hazelnut liqueur toasted hazelnuts a few, coarsely chopped

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and butter an 1.2-litre oval baking dish.

• Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot, but not simmering, water. As soon as the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Stir in 150ml warm water and the caster sugar, and mix until smooth.

• Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks into the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the sifted flour, making sure there are no lumps.

• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then gently fold them into the chocolate mixture. Pour the chocolate mixture into the buttered dish.

• Put into a larger baking dish filled with enough hot water to come halfway up the dish and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160C/fan 140C/ gas 3 for a further 15-20 minutes or until the pudding is firm on top, but still soft and fudgy underneath and saucy at the base. Set aside to cool slightly before dusting with icing sugar.

• Serve warm or cold with the Frangelico cream, sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts.

PER SERVING (8) 470 KCALS | FAT 33.1G SATURATES 18.7G | CARBS 35.2G | SUGARS 32.6G FIBRE 1G | PROTEIN 5.7G | SALT 0.2G