Chocolate Orange Pudding

This is a self-saucing pudding, which is basically a sponge cake-like batter into which a sauce is poured- but not mixed in- before baking. During the baking process, the sponge rises and the sauce remains in the bottom of the pan, hence the name. This recipe is a chocolate orange self saucing pudding, a delicious, warming dessert with a light yet rich chocolate orange sponge, and a fabulous chocolate orange sauce. It is best served hot straight from the oven with a dusting of icing sugar, and a side scoop of vanilla ice-cream, which makes it a wonderfully warming and satisfying winter dessert.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE PUDDING
INGREDIENTS:
300ml Milk
75g Dark chocolate
1/2tsp Vanilla extract
100g Caster sugar
100g Butter
150g Self-raising flour
2tbsp Cocoa
Grated rind of an orange
Icing sugar, to dust

FOR THE SAUCE:
3tbsp cocoa powder
50g Light muscovado sugar
150ml Freshly squeezed orange juice
150ml Boiling water

METHOD:

1. Lightly grease an 850ml ovenproof dish.
2. Break up the dark chocolate and add into the pan with the milk and orange rind. heat gently, stirring, until the chocolate melts. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Beat together the caster sugar and butter in a pan until pale and fluffy. Sieve in the flour and cocoa powder. Pour in the chocolate milk mixture and beat until smooth, then pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
4. For the sauce, mix together the sugar and coca powder. Add a little boiling water to make a smooth paste, then stir in the rest of the boiling water and orange juice.
5. Carefully pour the sauce over the pudding mixture but do not mix in.
6. Place the dish on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 40 minutes on Gas Mark 4 until the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Leave to stand for approximately 5 minutes, then dust with icing sugar.
7. Serve immediately, with ice-cream if you wish.

VARIATIONS:

• For a chocolate pudding, omit the orange rind, and replace the 150ml of orange juice with 150ml of boiling water.
• For a mocha pudding, add in 1tbsp of instant coffee to the cocoa powder and sugar in step 4, before mixing to a paste with boiling water.