Martha Collison
http://www.bakingmartha.co.uk/blog/2016/7/7/melt-in-the-middle-chocolate-puddings
MAKES 8
125g butter, plus extra for greasing
cocoa powder, to dust
200g dark chocolate, about 70 per cent cocoa, chopped
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
100g caster sugar
25g plain flour
cream and berries, to serve
Method
You will need eight mini pudding or dariole moulds and an electric hand-held whisk.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Liberally butter the mini moulds and lightly dust the insides with cocoa powder. This makes the puddings easier to turn out once they are cooked. Cut a small circle of baking parchment the same size as the top of the moulds and place inside each one to stop the puddings sticking.
Melt the butter and chopped dark chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir together until there are no lumps of either remaining and the mixture is smooth.
Crack the eggs into another large bowl and add the extra yolks and the sugar. Use an electric hand-held whisk to whisk the mixture until it is thick, fluffy and very pale in colour.
Fold in the melted chocolate using a spatula, then sift over the flour and mix well to combine. Don’t worry if you knock out the air; you don’t want the puddings to rise like a soufflé.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared moulds, filling each one two-thirds full. At this point, you could add a flavoured centre.
Bake the puddings for 8-10 minutes. When they are ready, there should be a thin crust on the top but the centre should still have a slight wobble.
Leave the puddings to stand for 2 minutes before turning out. I run a small palette knife around the inside edge of each mould to loosen it slightly. If they do not turn out properly, or you want to play it safe, you can always serve the puddings in the mould and just dive straight in with a spoon.
Serve with a nice dollop of cream and a few fresh berries.