STEAMED CHOCOLATE, STOUT & PRUNE PUDDING

Steamed chocolate, stout & prune pudding image

A dark and fruity stout brings out the flavour of dark chocolate in Diana Henry's simple steamed pudding. Pour on our decadent chocolate sauce and enjoy

Provided by Diana Henry

Categories Dessert

Time 2h20m

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

200g prunes
175ml stout or a dark, fruity beer (Theakston's Old Peculier is good, or try a fruit beer, particularly one with damsons)
175g butter , at room temperature, plus more for the basin
30g cocoa powder
150g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp baking powder
190g soft dark brown sugar
3 medium eggs , lightly beaten
80g walnuts , 30g blitzed in a food processor, 50g toasted
75g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
175g plain chocolate , chopped
100ml double cream
75ml stout or dark fruity beer
175g soft light brown sugar
crème fraîche or cream, to serve

Steps:

Put the prunes in a dish with the stout and leave to soak overnight. The next day, strain and reserve the stout, and set the prunes aside.
Butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin really well. Sift the cocoa powder together with the flour, bicarb and baking powder. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then gradually add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the sifted ingredients, alternating with the reserved stout, followed by all the walnuts, the dark chocolate and soaked prunes. Scrape the batter into the prepared basin.
Put a piece of baking parchment on top of a sheet of foil (both large enough to cover the top of the basin). Fold a pleat along the middle, then place, parchment-side down, on top of the pudding, with the pleat across the centre. Tie firmly in place with string, using the string to make a handle. Trim the excess parchment and foil.
Put the pudding in a large saucepan with a lid, then pour in enough boiling water to come one-third of the way up the side of the basin. Bring the water to a simmer, cover the pan and steam the pudding for 1¾ hrs, making sure that the pan doesn't boil dry. Leave to sit for 10 mins.
For the sauce, put the chocolate in a bowl. Pour the cream, stout and sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot, then pour over the chocolate. Leave to sit for 2 mins or so. Stir until smooth.
To turn the pudding out, run a knife around the edge of the basin. Set a serving plate on top of the pudding, invert, give it a bit of a shake and it should slide out. Pour some of the chocolate sauce over the top and offer the rest in a jug, with some crème fraîche or whipped cream on the side.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 676 calories, Fat 39 grams fat, SaturatedFat 19 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 69 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 56 grams sugar, Fiber 5 grams fiber, Protein 9 grams protein, Sodium 0.8 milligram of sodium