Piedmont chocolate pudding
Recipe by Valentina Harris
SERVES 6-8
Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking 45 minutes
1 litre full-fat milk
250g amaretti biscuits
2 heaped tbsp best-quality drinking-chocolate powder
150g caster sugar
6 large eggs, beaten
1 small cup of espresso coffee or ¼ tsp instant coffee granules
6 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp cold water
Put the milk and the amaretti in a saucepan, bring to the boil and take off the heat. Break up the biscuits completely with a spoon. Stir in the chocolate powder.
In a bowl, beat the eggs and caster sugar together thoroughly until pale and fluffy, and then fold this mixture into the milk and amaretti mixture. Stir carefully to amalgamate perfectly, and then stir in the coffee.
Preheat the oven to 160ºC/Gas Mark 3. Put the granulated sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat together until the sugar has caramelized. Coat the bottom of 4 to 6 small moulds with the caramel. Divide the milk mixture evenly between the moulds and place them all in a roasting tin. Pour enough water around the moulds to come halfway up their sides and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre of a mould comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool and chill slightly before turning out and serving.
