Coffee and Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

I can't lie. We'd had just made a tasty roast beef dinner and I was craving something sweet. Then I checked Henry's postings and his berry flambee and champagne made my mouth water.  Now I had no berries or champagne but I did have chocolate and I recalled a recipe for a quick and easy Winter pudding in my new Donna Hay cookbook, Seasons.

This was quick, easy and goes perfect with cookies n cream icecream. It was my first self-saucing pudding and while it looked nowhere near as divine as the one in Donna's book it did taste damn fine and so I'm sure it will be one I'll pull out again!

1/2 cup milk

35g butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain flour, sifted

1 1/2 tsp baking powder, sifted

1 tbs instant coffee, sifted

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, extra

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa, sifted

1 cup water

thick cream (or icecream) to serve

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Place the flour, baking powder, instant coffee, almond meal and sugar in a separate bowl. Gradually add the milk mixture and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

Place the extra sugar, cocoa and water in a 1-litre capacity 15cm non stick ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the coffee mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch.  Serve with cream.