This much loved chocolate pudding is so easy it’s child’s play. Perfect for a chilly evening when you’re craving a quick chocolate fix but really can’t be bothered to go to much effort at all. Rich, chocolate-y and lush it’s ready in no time. A lazy Sunday night dessert.

An express pudding. It only takes about five minutes to prepare and the results are awesome. One of those old fashioned puddings my mother used to bake for me,  I baked for my children when they were younger, and better still they now very obligingly bake for themselves. They’re fascinated by  the process. The transformation of  boiling hot water poured over a simple cake batter sprinkled with sugar and cocoa into a delicious  self saucing dessert. As the pudding cooks it separates into a fluffy chocolate sponge layer with a smooth chocolate sauce underneath. I’m sure every family has its own recipe but this is the one we know and love.

Orange Scented Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

Serves 8

For the Batter
1 1/4 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup  milk
80g unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
finely grated zest of 1 orange

For the Sauce
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 firmly packed cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water

thickened cream or ice cream (optional), to serve

PREHEAT oven to 180 C. Grease a 6 cup capacity oven proof dish.

For the Batter
PLACE flour, caster sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl.
COMBINE milk, butter, egg and orange zest in a jug. Add to the dry ingredients beating with a wooden spoon to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared dish.

For the Chocolate Sauce Layer
COMBINE the brown sugar with the remaining 1/2 cup cocoa powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the pudding batter.
CAREFULLY pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water from a kettle over the pudding, over the back of a spoon to break the flow.

BAKE for 35 minutes or until the pudding is just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Serve hot from the oven with cream or ice-cream.