Soft-Centered Chocolate Puddings

Another leisurely weekend back at home with more opportunities to bake myself up a little fun. Today's aspiration was a Soft-Centered Chocolate Pudding. ONE Soft-Centered Chocolate Pudding. So after selecting a recipe from Design*Sponge, an adorable crafts and DIY website, and throwing the data into a recipe calculator, I crossed my fingers and hoped the reduced "individual-serving" recipe would work just as well. And thank goodness it did, it came out perfect, moist and chocolatey and oh-so-rich in the middle. [I was also very fortunate that I was able to make only one...or else I'm sure I would've devoured all four servings that the original recipe yielded]. I also had to race against time while taking my photos, because as soon as I placed the fresh raspberries on top the delicate ceiling of the pudding slowly began to sink. By the time I was finished all three raspberries had fallen into the warm, gooey center and they tasted heavenly once I fished them out.

Soft-Centered Chocolate Puddings

Makes 4
4 tbs granulated white sugar (60g) + 2/3 cup sugar (160g)
100g butter chopped
200g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
2 tbs self-rising flour (30g)*
Icing sugar (powdered) & thick cream, to serve

*To make your own self-rising flour, for each cup of all-purpose flour (125g), add 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5g) of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt (2.5g).

Preheat oven to 200°C/390F. Lightly grease 4 x mud australia Limoges porcelain baby noodle bowls (or similar oven-safe bowls). Sprinkle 1 tbs sugar into each bowl and turn so sugar coats inside of the bowl.

Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon for 5 minutes or until mixture is smooth then remove from the heat.

Using electric hand mixer, beat eggs and remaining sugar on high speed until pale and slightly thickened. Pour warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Sift flour over mixture and stir gently to combine. Pour mixture evenly between bowls. Place onto a tray. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until well risen.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with thick cream if desired.