Chocolate Brandy Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the dates in a bowl, pour over 250ml boiling water and set aside. Butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base.
• Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs in a large bowl, then beat with an electric hand whisk until well blended. Add the cooled date mix and beat again to make a sloppy batter
• Stir in the fruits, pecans and ginger, then pour into the pudding basin and cover the basin with pleated baking paper and foil (see tips, below). Put the basin in a roasting tin half-filled with boiling water, then steam in the oven for 3 hrs until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the brandy syrup. Put the sugar and 75ml water in a pan and stir over the heat until syrupy. Stir in the brandy and remove from the heat. When the pudding is ready, remove from the oven, take off the foil and paper, and push a skewer into the centre - it should come out clean. Pour over the brandy syrup so it soaks into the pudding, then cover until ready to serve. Will keep in the fridge for a week.
• To serve, warm the pudding in the turned-off oven once you have taken out the potatoes, or microwave on High, covered with cling film, for 5 mins. Warm the butterscotch sauce (see related recipes) in a pan or in the microwave on Medium for 2 mins. Turn out the pudding onto a plate, pour over some of the sauce and serve the rest in a jug. Top with the holly sprig and serve with good-quality vanilla ice cream

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon into individual serving dishes. Chill until serving. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and M&M's.

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk or stir with a fork until smooth and all lumps have been incorporated.
• Combine remaining milk with sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Cook, whisking as needed to prevent lumps from forming, until mixture begins to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes. Add chocolate chips and salt. Continue stirring until chips are completely melted and pudding is smooth and thickened, about 7 minutes more.
• Pour pudding into 1 large bowl or 6 individual bowls. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming; smooth it gently against the surface. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Brush 8x8x2 glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
• Simmer half and half and brandy in heavy large saucepan3minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add 1 cup chocolate chips. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
• Whisk in brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Let stand until cool, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk in eggs, then vanilla and salt.
• Stir in bread. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Spread half of pudding mixture in prepared dish.
• Sprinkle with 2 cups chocolate chips.
• Cover with remaining pudding mixture.
• (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and Chill)
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and firm in center, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven; let cool 10 minutes.
• Beat chilled cream, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl until peaks form.
• Spoon pudding into bowls. Top with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C.
• Lightly grease 8 ramekins.
• Melt cho and butter in bowl over pot of simmering water.
• Set aside when combined and melted.
• Using electric beaters beat sugar and eggs and yolks together till pale.
• Fold choc mixture into egg mixture alternately with flour.
• Spoon pudding into ramekins, cook 15 minutes till just set.
• Set aside for 15 minutes then pour a little brandy over each pudding.
• Dust with cocoa and serve with ice cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in a round, buttered, deep dish pie plate. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, a dash of salt, vanilla, cocoa, and cinnamon . Add chocolate chips. Pour over bread and gently mix. Let sit for 15 minutes, so bread can absorb mixture. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until firm but not dry.

Steps:

• For the pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium pot add the cream, milk, liquid from the cherries, maple syrup and salt and bring to a boil.
• In a separate bowl crack and whisk the eggs. In a larger bowl add the dark chocolate.
• Pour the warm liquid into the dark chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted. Slowly whisk in the eggs. Mix in the diced baguette and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Place a cherry into each of eight 4-ounce ramekins, then fill the ramekins with the bread pudding mixture.
• Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
• For the brandy whipped cream: Whip the cream, brandy and granulated sugar until it holds stiff peaks. Serve the puddings topped with the cream.

Steps:

• Drain the cherries in a sieve over a bowl. Cut them in half. Peel the pear, then grate it coarsely.
• In a large bowl, combine the cherries, pear, the raisins, sultanas and brandy. Stir well and cover with clingfilm.
• Heat in the microwave on high for 3 mins, then leave to cool for 5 mins to let the fruit plump up. Break the chocolate into squares while you wait.
• Tip the chocolate and butter into the hot fruit. Stir, then leave to melt. Let it cool, uncovered, for about 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, rub 1 tbsp butter around the inside of a 1-litre pudding basin.
• Lay two sheets of foil over each other and butter the one on top. Holding both sheets together, fold a 3cm pleat across the middle of the foil and set aside.
• Beat the eggs together in a small bowl. Sift the flour, sugar, mixed spice and cocoa powder on top of the chocolatey fruit, then add the breadcrumbs, eggs and ¼ tsp salt.
• Stir everything together with a wooden spoon - it will be quite a wet mixture. Tip it into the buttered basin.
• Cover the pudding with the buttered foil (buttery-side down), and scrunch it over the edge of the basin. Tie string tightly under the lip of the basin, and make a string handle to help you lower the basin in and out of the saucepan later.
• Trim the foil so that a frill of about 5cm is left sticking out, then tuck the frill up and under itself neatly. The aim is to keep the pudding watertight beneath.
• Put a heatproof saucer into the very large saucepan, then put the basin on top. Pour in just-boiled water to come halfway up the basin.
• Cover the pan and steam the pudding for 2½ hrs. Test the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer through the foil - if there is any wet mixture, steam for 15 mins more then check again.The pan should be simmering rather than boiling hard. Top up the water levels as it cooks, if you need to.
• To store, let the pudding cool and leave in a cool dark place to mature. Don't unwrap the foil. You can make this pudding up to two months before eating.
• To reheat, steam in a pan for 30 mins, or microwave on medium for 5 mins. Remove the foil to microwave, covering with clingfilm instead.
• For the sauce, break the chocolate into squares. Put all the ingredients in a small pan and heat gently, stirring, until smooth. Serve the pudding topped with any remaining cherries, the sauce and a dollop of double cream.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Slowly add the milk, oil and vanilla extract stirring after each addition. Stir until batter is thick.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar with the 1/4c sugar and the 1/4c cocoa. Sprinkle (or sift) the top of the batter with the sugar mixture. Mix the water and brandy together. Then pour the water and brandy over the entire top.
• Bake approximately 30 minutes or until the cake is set around the sides and the top is loose and bubbly. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slice or scoop to serve.
• Serve with a complementary scoop of ice cream.
• CHERRY VARIATION: DO THIS FIRST: Drain cherry juice and set aside. Soak cherry's in brandy. Continued with step 1 of the recipe. Add the cherry juice to the batter.
• When batter is in prepared pan, remove cherry's from brandy, After pouring the water/brandy mixture onto the cake, arrange the cherry's on the top of the cake.
• Serve with dollop of whipped creme.

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over dates, set aside to soften.
• Add bicarb, butter and sugar and blend well.
• Sift dry ingredients together and fold into the date mixture.
• Add egg and walnuts and mix.
• Lightly grease a microwave pan and bake for 5 -6 minutes on 100% power.
• For the syrup combine sugar, water and butter in a glass bowl and microwave on 100% power for 1 - 2 minutes until boiling point.
• Stir in vanilla and brandy.
• Pour hot syrup over warm tart.
• Serve with cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in. springform pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Cube remaining butter; place in a small saucepan. Add chocolate chips and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat., In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, espresso powder and salt. Gently stir in bread; let stand until bread is softened, about 15 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes., Meanwhile, for sauce, heat cream in a small heavy saucepan until bubbles form around sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, brown sugar and salt. Whisk a small amount of hot cream into egg mixture; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in butter. Fold in pecans and coconut. If desired, stir in brandy. Cool., For whipped cream, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and, if desired, brandy; beat until soft peaks form., Loosen sides of pan with a knife. Carefully run a knife around edge of springform pan to loosen; remove rim from pan. Serve pudding warm with sauce and whipped cream.