Guilt-free chocolate pudding

When I first started this blog, I apologised in advance that my photography wasn't exactly going to be state-of-the-art - and today's picture, I fear, is a case in point... it turns out to be extraordinarily difficult to make chocolate pudding look as good as it tastes. But trust me, this tastes wonderful! And, best of all, it's 'guilt-free' (relatively speaking) because it relies on the rich flavour of cocoa powder rather than high-calorie, high-fat chocolate for its indulgent taste, plus there's just a tablespoon of butter in the whole recipe. This makes enough to serve 4 (or 6 at a push).

Mix 100g plain flour with 175g granulated sugar,  40g unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Bournville), 2 tsp baking powder and a good pinch of salt. Then stir in 1 tsp instant espresso powder (I find Percol Black & Beyond Espresso Powder best for cooking -  it's great for making coffee ice cream too). Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in 150ml semi-skimmed milk, 1 tbsp melted butter and one and a half tsp vanilla extract. Stir well to make a thick batter. Rub a little extra butter on a piece of kitchen paper around a ceramic baking dish (or use low-cal oil spray) and pour the batter in, then sprinkle over 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar and 1 tbsp cocoa powder.

The next bit sounds strange, and looks even stranger when you've done it: pour 500ml boiling water right over the top, then put the dish straight in the oven at 170C (fan oven). At this stage, you won't believe that the recipe could possibly work, but it will - in about 15 mins, the mixture will start to set from the centre outwards and bubble like a mini volcano. After 35 minutes, take it out of the oven and leave to stand for 20 minutes, before serving with low-fat creme fraiche (or see Tip 1 below...)

TIP 1: If you don't mind a 'guilty' rather than 'guilt-free' version, make a lovely chocolate sauce to serve with it by gently melting a bar of dark chocolate, broken into pieces, with a few tablespoons of milk over a pan of simmering water.

TIP 2: A big spoonful of this pudding would be wonderful served on top of a couple of spoonfuls of warm cooked plums or damson puree. Yum!

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