serves
6
prep
30 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Silky smooth, this rich chocolate pudding is like a posh version of Angel Delight. When you are out of eggs, this is an excellent alternative to a traditional egg-thickened custard, which still creates the same lovely texture.
This chocolate pudding is rich and unctuous, but its richness is offset by the crème fraîche. It is delicious hot or cold. For an adult twist on this childhood favourite, the caramel shards add a welcome crunchy texture. As it’s a naturally egg-free pudding, thickened by cornflour instead of eggs, you can easily make this fully vegan by substituting the milk and cream with a soy, almond or oat alternative.
Ingredients
Caramel almond crisps
- 75 g caster sugar
- 25 ml water
- 50 g slivered almonds
For the pudding
- 10 g cornflour
- 50 g golden caster sugar
- 200 ml whole milk
- 100 ml double cream
- 85 g good quality dark chocolate, finely grated or chopped
- A knob of butter, softened
- Crème fraîche, to serve
- A sprinkling of sea salt
Instructions
- Start by making the caramel almond shards. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar and water into a large pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat to high. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the almonds and stir continuously for 5 minutes to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Once the sugar and nuts have become a dark golden caramel colour, pour on to the prepared tray and spread as thinly as possible with a palette knife (be quick, as it sets pretty fast). Leave to cool, then break into rough shards.
- Put the cornflour, sugar, milk and cream into a small pan. Place over a medium heat and whisk continuously for about 4 minutes, until thickened. When it releases a bubble or two, remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and the butter.
- Divide between ramekins or glasses and serve with crème fraîche and the almond caramel shards, with a sprinkling with sea salt.
Tips
• These are best made to order, as a skin can form when they’re left to sit.
• Caramel is not as hard to make as it looks, so don’t panic if it’s your first time. Watching the sugar carefully as it transforms from white to a light amber, and keeping an eye on the heat, are important. It can burn quite quickly if you aren’t attentive.
• Be sure to work quickly when you pour your hot sugar on to the baking tray – and to use a good silicone-coated parchment. There are also great reusable alternatives available called Silpat mats if you are serious about your pâtisserie.
• You can substitute different nuts for the flaked almonds, or even a mixture to make up the quantity here. Do chop them finely before you add them to the caramel.
• Cornflour both thickens and adds a beautiful glossy sheen to the pudding. if making this as a gluten-free recipe, double-check your cornflour is gluten-free.
• Use a dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa) for this recipe. Anything less won’t give the pudding its rich chocolatey flavour. And use the best quality chocolate you can afford, as it’ll be fundamental to the flavour.
• Make sure to chop the chocolate finely. I find this easiest to do by hand, but you can pop it into a food processor and pulse until fine. If the chunks are too big, they won’t melt and your puds will end up lumpy.
• I use golden caster sugar for the pudding here, which is slightly less refined than pure caster sugar. But you can substitute white caster if you like.
• Don’t miss out the little crunch of sea salt on top of the puddings – sea salt flakes such as Maldon’s crystals add an extra texture. Salt also really enhances the flavour of the chocolate and balances out any bitterness.
• Don’t leave the mixture to stand after cooking. Immediately divide it between the ramekins, otherwise lumps may form.
• Struggling to clean your caramel-coated pan? Just fill with hot water and simmer, and the caramel will eventually dissolve.
This recipe is an extract from the by Rachel Khoo. All proceeds from sales of the book are donated to Women's Aid, a UK charity that works to end domestic abuse against women and children. The e-book is available to purchase from Rachel Khoo's website . Image by Matthew Gormly.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Silky smooth, this rich chocolate pudding is like a posh version of Angel Delight. When you are out of eggs, this is an excellent alternative to a traditional egg-thickened custard, which still creates the same lovely texture.
This chocolate pudding is rich and unctuous, but its richness is offset by the crème fraîche. It is delicious hot or cold. For an adult twist on this childhood favourite, the caramel shards add a welcome crunchy texture. As it’s a naturally egg-free pudding, thickened by cornflour instead of eggs, you can easily make this fully vegan by substituting the milk and cream with a soy, almond or oat alternative.
