The term self-saucing unnerves me. It's weird. It conjures up freaky scenes in my active little tired brain. Seriously, this above pic is very special, see what I mean?
Once it is served the images of strange molten chocolate lava subside and dissipates completely when the hot sauce meets the chill of the ice-cream. It is soooooo incredibly satisfying I just want to shove more in my face. With a dessert spoon of course because you get more, faster. Muffin top anyone?
This recipe is taken from Super Food Ideas Winter Warmer book on page 90. Definitely perfect for a winters night or when you've got the oven on already. You can bang this in when you take the main meal out and in 40 minutes the hot pudding will be ready for you.
Chocolate self-saucing pudding
Ingredients
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (2? I like 3 because I am appalling).
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
80g butter, melted, cooled
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
ice-cream, or thick cream and berries, to serve
Sauce
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/4 cups boiling water
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease an 8 cup capacity ovenproof baking dish (I always use my french white Corningware because it is great to go from oven to table and back into the fridge with any leftovers). Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.
- Combine butter, milk and egg in a jug. Slowly add to flour mixture, whisking until combined and smooth. Spoon slowly into baking dish. Smooth top.
- Make sauce. Combine sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Sprinkle over pudding.
- Pour boiling water very slowly over the back of a large metal spoon over pudding. Place dish on a baking tray. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until pudding bounces back when pressed gently in centre (don't over cook it or you won't get the chance to have a very saucy self-saucing sauce).
- Serve with lots of ice-cream or cream or berries.
*** I was sent two ramekins and a 2.3l Corningware French White casserole dish from World Kitchen to test out. However, I already am a massive Corningware fan, so I didn't need any convincing. My collection is nearly 10 years old and is still in perfect condition. I love how the oval and round series stack so neatly too. It uses up little space in my kitchen from hell. My favourite piece is the lasagne/oblong baker which gets a weekly work out for the spinach and ricotta cannelloni that is always requested. The ovals are great to present meaty goodness from the BBQ too. ***
Do you do pudding?
How do you serve it?
Do you sample before you serve?
Do you privately lick the serving spoon and shudder with joy?
Does self-saucing float your boat or freak you out?
