Sunday 6 September 2009

Gooey Chocolate Puddings

This is my favourite dessert recipe in the whole wide world. And just to forewarn you, this pudding is so good that whoever you serve it to will fall madly and deeply in love with you, so just watch who you give it to...

I’ve had this recipe written since January and just haven’t got around to posting it, but the time has come to unleash this dessert and change the world by pairing it with some awesome beers.

The chocolate pudding is feather-light on the outside, hot, rich and gooey in the middle and it’s enough to melt even an iron heart. Pair this with the right beer and it turns all magical and supernatural. But what beer? Some would go straight for the cherry beer, and this is wise, no doubt, but there are better beers to pour with this. Personally, I’m thinking a big coffee stout. Here’s why: coffee stouts and chocolate are killer combos. It’s all about the lustful coming together of sweet chocolate and roasty-bitter coffee beer: it just works. But you need a big coffee beer, something full-bodied, imperial, rich and strong enough to leave you wired. It’s a real pick-me-up pairing, like a do-it-yourself tiramisu (I have to make tiramisu with coffee stout in the base one day…) where the chocolate soothes and the coffee kicks.

The pudding recipe has never failed me and it’s incredible. The pudding coats the tongue in the way that only good chocolate can and then the beer glides in and lifts it all away, making you want more and more and more… But there are careful steps needed to get that oh-so-important gooey centre. First, I add grated chocolate to the mix. Second, I add a little contingency square of chocolate in the centre. Third, make the mix a few hours before you need it (this is helpful anyway) and then chill it. Fourth, bake it for exactly 10 minutes at 220C – no more, no less.

Gooey Chocolate Puddings

This makes 6 puddings.

  • 200g dark chocolate (or part and part with milk chocolate)
  • 150g butter, plus some for lining the dishes
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 3 whole eggs and 3 yolks
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 20g plain flour
  • Cocoa powder for dusting

Line the ramekins with butter and sprinkle cocoa into each so it all sticks to the butter. Melt 150g of the chocolate with the butter (in a glass bowl over a pan of bubbling water) and add a pinch of sea salt. While that’s melting whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar until they are pale and creamy. When the chocolate is done take it off the heat for a minute, in that minute grate a few chunks of chocolate (leaving six squares behind) into the egg/sugar mix then add the melted chocolate and butter and stir through gently. Next add the flour and stir into a pudding mix. Pour into the ramekins and pop a square of chocolate into the middle of each one. Chill until you need it.

To cook the puddings the oven must be preheated to 220C – exactly 220C. Add the ramekins and watch the clock very closely. As soon as ten minutes are up take them out, run a knife around the edge and turn them out onto a plate.

I like this served with ice cream. The first time I tried it I had it with a coffee ice cream and that was super but I personally think a more subtle ice cream would be best, and something like the RipTide Stout Ice Cream would be spot on. Another excellent choice would be a banana ice cream (coffee, chocolate and banana is a truly great combo). Or just go for a good vanilla ice cream.

As for the beer, I’d jump straight to Mikkeller and grab the Beer Geek Breakfast, or even better, the Beer Geek Brunch Weasel (I wrote about that here). I’ve had the puddings with BrewDog’s Coffee Imperial Stout, as the picture shows, and that was fantastic. You could try the Meantime Coffee but I think it might struggle to deal with the awesomeness of the dessert. If you can’t do a coffee beer then go for a straight up imperial stout - Thornbridge’s Bracia would kick serious pudding-fattened ass, Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout or a sublime De Struise Black Albert. The dessert deserves good beer, the dessert demands good beer. But remember the cautionary words at the beginning: whoever you serve this to will fall wildly in love with you.

17 comments:

  1. I'm in love with you just reading it

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  2. Sounds great, Mark. I'll hold off on professing my adoration until I taste it :D

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  3. I just ate a brownie infused with New Mexican Hatch Green Chili. Christ, off the hook!!

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  4. I've been single since January because you couldn't be bothered posting this until now? Well, THANKS MARK.

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  5. If you are into imperial stouts you really need to get along to the De Molen beer festival at the end of October. Links here:

    http://www.brouwerijdemolen.nl/index.php

    http://www.brouwerijdemolen.nl/index.php/en/beerfestival/brewers-and-beers.html

    And check out their shop here:

    http://www.brouwerijdemolen.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129&Itemid=48

    Seriously good, I think.

    Cheers

    John

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  6. omg. just changed photo on my blog and came to yours...i think we food folks think alike like mags will often be on the same wave length. attractive blog! very easy on the eyes.

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  7. Kristy... it's a powerful dessert, even writing about it is dangerous!

    Barry, the adoration will come once you try it! lol!

    Wurst, this would be good with chillis added, I'm sure. I'm not a huge chilli-chocolate fan myself though...

    Barm, I'm sorry... it's out there now so make the most of it!

    John, the festival sounds great and the bottle shop has some fantastic beers. Rumour is that there has been some cask De Molen stuff down in Kent so I'll need to keep my ear to the ground!

    Cal, thanks!

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  8. The puddings sound great!

    John, can you stop inviting people to the De Molen festival please. I don't like my beer festivals too busy, especially when they have said beer shop. Next you'll be giving everyone train times to get there and back with enough time to show everyone the beer bars of Amsterdam.

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  9. Dominic,

    Sorry about that my lips are sealed from now on! Anyway we all get there at 12 noon when it opens so we should get a seat, what with the train times being...oops! Almost dropped a clanger there!

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  10. i am going to borrow that recipe and add some chilli's to it

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  11. Liam, you've never had Mole.

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  12. Ever used then rubbery backing things? They are much better than ramekins. They come in some great shapes.

    I haven't had the courage to use them at 220c yet, but they are suposed to be OK.

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  13. Dave, ive got some silicon moulds for bread and muffins, they worked a treat, although like you ive not tried them quite so hot!

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  14. Dominic/John, share the beer with everyone!!

    Moggy, let me know how it works with some chilli! I've got an italian imperial stout made with dried chilli that could be a great pairing.

    Dave, I've seen them but never used them. I've got some pretty cool ramekins which are the perfect portion for one. 220 is hot but that's essential for the pud!

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  15. Will do, in the mean time try this recipe its quick and easy and not half bad:

    http://blog.chilliupnorth.co.uk/2009/04/29/chilli-chocolate-microwave-mug-cake/

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  16. I served thus to my family and they fell in love with it and keep asking me for the recipe but i won't give it to them. How evil am I

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