Source for this image here.
At this time of year, this easy chocolate pudding is one of my family's most favourite desserts. I bake it often and it's quick to rustle up with very little trouble if you have unexpected guests to dine with you. It's so simple to make and there's hardly any washing up either - I make it in the dish I bake it in. It's known by many names including "chocolate self-saucing pudding" and "impossible chocolate pie" because although when you put it in the oven it really doesn't look anything special, when it is cooked, it transforms itself into the most delicious rich chocolate sponge with a silky, thick sauce at the bottom.
To make it, you will need ...
60 g butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk (I use full fat for richness)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup self rising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
For the sauce (though you don't make it separately)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
1. Set the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4.
2. Grease a 2 litre capacity casserole or oven proof dish - I use a round glass Pyrex glass casserole that can go in the microwave, so that I can make the whole recipe right in the dish it's going to be baked in.
3. Melt the butter with the milk (I do this in a microwave in the glass casserole, as described above).
4. Stir in the vanilla essence and the caster sugar, then add the flour and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. Stir well. The mixture will be thick and shiny.
5. At this point you can place the dish in the fridge until you are ready to bake it, if you want to prepare it in advance. Otherwise, boil enough water for 2 cups, then sprinkle the brown sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder over the top of the dish, and pour evenly over the top of this the 2 cups boiling water. Do not stir. Yes it will look awful but be patient! The oven will transform it.
6. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until the top 2/3 of the pudding is baked, and the bottom 1/3 is a rich, thick chocolate sauce.
7. This pudding is best served straight from the oven. It doesn't really need anything adding to it, but if you want to really indulge, vanilla ice cream would be very good with it.
