Chocolate self-saucing jar puddings

It has always fascinated me how a sprinkling of cocoa and sugar followed by some boiling water poured over a pudding batter can magically form a deliciously rich chocolate sauce underneath the pudding when baked. No easy way of explaining — just watch in awe and enjoy! You will need six recycled jam jars for this recipe — being able to see the distinct layers through the glass just adds to the wonder.

Chocolate self-saucing pudding jars Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• melted butter, to grease
• 150 g (1 cup) self-raising flour
• 30 g (¼ cup) cocoa powder
• 100 g (½ cup, loosely packed) brown sugar
• 125 ml (½ cup) milk
• 80 g butter, melted
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• icing sugar, to sprinkle
• fresh berries and cream or ice-cream, to serve

Sauce

• 100 g (½ cup, loosely packed) brown sugar
• 40 g (⅓ cup) cocoa powder, sifted
• 310 ml (1¼ cups) boiling water

Cooling time 5 minutes

You will need 6 x wide 250 ml (1 cup) recycled jam jars for this recipe.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Lightly brush your jam jars with the melted butter to grease. Place the jars on a tray lined with baking paper.

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine evenly.

Put the milk, butter and egg in a separate medium bowl and use a fork to whisk until well combined. Add to the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon to mix until smooth and well combined. Divide the batter among the greased jars and use the back of a metal spoon to smooth the surface of each.

To make the sauce, combine the sugar and cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the surface of the chocolate batter in the jars, dividing evenly. Gradually and carefully pour the boiling water evenly over the sugar and cocoa, dividing evenly among the jars.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (see Baker’s tips) or until a cake-like topping forms over the top of a chocolate sauce. If you insert a skewer halfway down into the centre of the pudding it will come out clean when ready.

Remove from the oven and aside for 5 minutes to settle before sprinkling with icing sugar and serving topped with berries and cream or ice-cream.

Baker’s tips

• The baking time of these puddings will depend on the shape and how wide your jam jars are — towards the end of baking just keep a close eye on them as if you bake them for too long the sauce will disappear!

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Tina McLeish. Creative concept by Lou Fay.

Anneka's mission is to connect home cooks with the magic of baking, and through this, with those they love. For hands-on baking classes and baking tips, visit her at BakeClub. Don't miss what's coming out of her oven via Facebook,Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

This recipe is part of our Bakeproof: Kids in the kitchen.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.