Nigella Lawson’s Glitzy Chocolate Puddings

Last night we went to dinner at my mum and dads and I was in charge of dessert and I had big plans to create something fabulous like a Mississippi Mud Pie or a Lemon Meringue.  Yesterday afternoon I was struck down by one of monthly killer migraines and the last thing I wanted to do was to concentrate on a recipe book or be in the kitchen for more than 10 – 20 minutes.

Despite having that migraine I couldn’t deny my family (who am I kidding, I couldn’t deny myself…) a dessert so I racked my brain for a recipe that was quick, easy and could be made using the ingredients we have at home.  I remembered flicking through a Nigella Lawson cookbook months ago and being intrigued by a chocolate pudding recipe.  This was no ordinary pudding, once out of the oven the individual puddings are topped with an oozing chocolate glaze and then sprinkled with crushed up pieces of crunchie bars.

I had a quick squiz at the recipe and was pleased. This recipe was probably going to take me 5 minutes to prepare and there weren’t too many words on the page. With Beau’s help we filled 7 ramekins with chocolate pudding batter, popped them in the oven as we ate dinner and then topped with the glaze and crunchies.

So, if you’re ever in need of a quick dessert or you just want to cure that chocolate craving then give this recipe a crack!

INGREDIENTS

100g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

100g soft butter

200g sugar

4 eggs

50g flour

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda pinch of salt

FOR THE GLAZE:

150g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

45g butter

2 x 40g Crunchie bars, broken into shards

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Break up the chocolate and melt it with the butter in a bowl in the microwave or in a double boiler. Once it’s melted, sit the bowl on a cold surface so that the chocolate cools.

Preferably in a freestanding mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale and moussy, then gently fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt.

Fold in the slightly cooled chocolate and butter mixture and then divide between eight ramekins, put in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.