Hot chocolate pudding recipe
This has been a permanent fixture on our menu at Chez Bruce since the day we opened for business in 1995. It is often the dessert chosen by chefs who have worked with us at the restaurant who then return to dine as customers, and I like to think that this is a testament to its all-round deliciousness. It is a pud I never
tire of and if one thinks of nuts, crunchy caramel, hot chocolate sauce, pudding and cream, what’s not to like? The pudding keeps well in the fridge and makes a nice morning-coffee snack all on its lonesome. The praline parfait will keep well in the freezer, although the high sugar content means that eventually the crunchy praline will soften. It will stay happily crisp for at least a week though and probably longer.
Ingredients
- 250 g Hazelnuts
- 600 g Caster sugar
- 1 l Double cream
- 12 Medium egg whites
- 8.8 oz Hazelnuts
- 21.2 oz Caster sugar
- 1.8 pints Double cream
- 12 Medium egg whites
- 8.8 oz Hazelnuts
- 21.2 oz Caster sugar
- 4.2 cups Double cream
- 12 Medium egg whites
- 425 g Dark chocolate
- 425 g Unsalted butter
- 10 Medium eggs, separated
- 150 g Dark soft brown sugar
- 275 g Ground almonds
- 275 g Caster sugar
- 75 g Plain flour
- 250 g Toasted flaked almonds
- 3 tbsp Pouring cream, to serve
- 15 oz Dark chocolate
- 15 oz Unsalted butter
- 10 Medium eggs, separated
- 5.3 oz Dark soft brown sugar
- 9.7 oz Ground almonds
- 9.7 oz Caster sugar
- 2.6 oz Plain flour
- 8.8 oz Toasted flaked almonds
- 3 tbsp Pouring cream, to serve
- 15 oz Dark chocolate
- 15 oz Unsalted butter
- 10 Medium eggs, separated
- 5.3 oz Dark soft brown sugar
- 9.7 oz Ground almonds
- 9.7 oz Caster sugar
- 2.6 oz Plain flour
- 8.8 oz Toasted flaked almonds
- 3 tbsp Pouring cream, to serve
- 250 ml Water
- 250 ml Double cream
- 100 g Best-quality cocoa powder - not drinking chocolate!
- 150 g Caster sugar
- 75 g Dark chocolate, grated or chopped
- 50 g Unsalted butter
- 8.8 fl oz Water
- 8.8 fl oz Double cream
- 3.5 oz Best-quality cocoa powder - not drinking chocolate!
- 5.3 oz Caster sugar
- 2.6 oz Dark chocolate, grated or chopped
- 1.8 oz Unsalted butter
- 1.1 cups Water
- 1.1 cups Double cream
- 3.5 oz Best-quality cocoa powder - not drinking chocolate!
- 5.3 oz Caster sugar
- 2.6 oz Dark chocolate, grated or chopped
- 1.8 oz Unsalted butter
Details
- Cuisine: French
- Recipe Type: Dessert
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 45 mins
- Serves: 10
Step-by-step
- Make the praline parfait at least the day before. Roast the hazelnuts in a medium oven until golden, then allow to cool to room temperature.
- Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. In a large stainless steel pan, dissolve 250g of the sugar in a little water and place on a medium heat. As the sugar starts to turn an amber colour, turn the heat down and continue to cook gently until a rich, dark-golden caramel colour is achieved.
- Be bold with the caramel - if it is too blond the parfait will be overly sweet. Turn the heat off, throw in the roasted nuts and stir well with a wooden spoon. Immediately turn out the praline on to the lined baking sheet. To clean the pan, simply fill with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until all the hardened caramel dissolves.
- When the praline has completely cooled to room temperature (which will take a couple of hours), break it up using your hands and bash it with the end of a rolling pin until it resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Store in an airtight container.
- To make the parfait, you will require two large mixing bowls. In the first, lightly whip the cream until it forms soft peaks - it should not be overly thick. In the second, using a hand-held electric whisk, whisk the egg whites until they form soft, floppy peaks. Whilst still whisking, add the remaining 350g of caster sugar in four stages until a stiff, glossy meringue is achieved. Fold one-third of the meringue into the cream and beat fairly briskly with the whisk. Lightly and quickly fold in the remaining meringue, incorporating the contents of the two bowls thoroughly, but retaining as much volume as possible. Lastly, fold in the praline.
- Transfer the parfait to an airtight container and freeze. (It also tastes delicious unfrozen and I always scoff a few mouthfuls at the `transfer to container' stage.)
- To make the pudding, line a 35 x 25cm deepish brownie tin or somesuch with baking parchment and set the oven to 160ºC. Melt together the chocolate and butter slowly in a large bowl over a large pan of simmering water. The base of the bowl should not be in contact with the hot water and the slower the melting process, the better. Stir occasionally. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks well and then combine with half the soft brown sugar and half the ground almonds. In another large bowl, using a hand-electric whisk, whisk the egg whites until they form soft, floppy peaks. Add the caster sugar in four stages with the whisk at full blast until a stiff, glossy meringue is achieved.
- Mix the melted butter and chocolate together well and combine with the soft brown sugar/ground almond mixture. Add the remaining soft brown sugar and ground almonds and combine well. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in. Briskly fold in one-third of the meringue. Add the remaining meringue and fold together thoroughly. Transfer to the lined baking tin and bake in the oven until a skewer or pointy knife inserted comes out clean - depending on the exact dimensions of your baking vessel, this will take about 35 minutes. Remove the pudding and set aside at room temperature.
- To make the chocolate sauce, simply place all the ingredients except the butter in a pan and bring to the boil, whisking all the while. Simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and whisk in the butter, then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan and keep warm. To serve, slice or cut the warm pudding into any shape you fancy. Pour some hot chocolate sauce over it and add a generous scattering of toasted almonds. Serve with a large scoop of the praline parfait. Hand around a jug of pouring cream separately.
Also worth your attention:
More recipes from Bruce Poole
Book - Bruce's Cookbook
Publisher - HarperCollins
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