Just Desserts!

Growing up we almost always had dessert or pudding to finish off our evening meal. My favourites were apple crumble (from the apple trees outside), Joan Hughes pudding (a steamed golden syrup pudding with sultanas) and rice or macaroni milk pudding. On special occasions, like Guy Fawkes night and we would have people around for a bonfire Mum would make a caramel meringue pudding. She made it in a roasting dish and it had a shortcake base, a caramel middle and a meringe top - pure heaven. And when we were older Coffee Tortini which is like a coffee flavoured ice cream with roasted slivered almonds.

Dessert in our house is normally dairyfood or icecream in a cone for the boys. I love icecream but try not to eat too much of it but my self control doesnt always win. LOL. I love other desserts too but if I make them, fear that it will be me eating the most of it. However the other night I decided to make a treat and made a self saucing chocolate pudding. It was devoured by everyone. The only complaint I had was that it over flowed my dish and made a mess of my oven which then required cleaning.

Anyway I thought I would write the recipe here, more for my sake for when I forget where I found it. It is a Annabel White recipe from her Best Recipes book.

Lai's self saucing chocolate pudding

50g buuter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup sugar

Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablesppoon cocoa
1 1/2 cups hot water

Heat the butter, milk and vanilla until the butter melts. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix with the sugar.
Pour the warm milk mixture on to the flour mixture and mix until smooth.
Place in a 20cm x 20cm greased baking dish.

Sauce
Mix brown sugar with the cocoa and sprinke on top. Pour on the hot water, do not stir.
Bake at 180 oC for approx 35 minutes.
Serve with custard (or icecream!)

Really yummy and easy to make. It got four ticks out of four which is a rarity in this house!