Quick and easy chocolate fix

Crikey I'm cracking on with this blog now, I have a fairly addictive personality and so I think I'm becoming a little obsessive about it all.  I'm used to thinking about gastronomy and gardening pretty much constantly but now I get to write it all down too, fabulous.

Anyway, have got the Recipes page up now, as I keep shoving in recipes here and there I thought it might be a good way of keeping track of them all a) so I don't repeat myself and b) so they're easier to find for those reading. 

Also up is the Useful Suppliers page, where I'm in the process of putting all the places I get all the things I need.  I'm hoping, with help from people who read the blog, to make it into a sort of go-to place to good suppliers of food, drink, plants, seeds etc.  I'm working on making it a bit more international as I know that most of them are UK-based, not great for those of you in the US and Europe.  The food area might be difficult for those of you in the US, as I know the majority of your food is based around corn syrup, but I've had some amazing meals in a variety of states so you must be hiding magnificent food and drink suppliers somewhere, we shall perservere...

As the title of this post suggests, last night, post-Salmon & Quinoa Salad, a situation presented itself (after my father had departed to sing in his choir) in that it became apparent that my mother and I provided the perfect number for Microwave Chocolate Pudding, that number being two.

Microwave Chocolate Pudding originally came from Good Housekeeping magazine but I have altered it slightly to suit my tastes and to reduce the fat content slightly, one has to consider one's waistline in these situations.  It's not a delicate creature, being basically a chocolate sponge with sauce but it's wonderfully quick and easy to make, so a brilliant last-minute pudding plus most people would have the ingredients in the cupboard and it involves no messing about with weighing scales.

Microwave Chocolate Pudding

Serves two.

4 tbsps golden syrup
3 tbsps cocoa powder (Green & Blacks is what I use, I tried own-brand and it wasn't nearly as good)
6 tbsps self-raising flour
2 ½ tbsps caster sugar (golden if possible)
1 medium egg
1 tbsp sunflower oil (or groundnut oil, something mild definitely not olive oil)
2 tbsps milk

two microwave-safe mugs
a medium mixing bowl
a hand whisk


Put one tablespoon of the cocoa powder in each of the mugs and the third tablespoon in the mixing bowl.  Put one tablespoon of golden syrup in each of the mugs, on top of the cocoa.  Stir until the cocoa and syrup until they form a chocolatey paste, trying not to get it up the sides of the mug too much.  You will stir and stir and just when you think it'll never combine it will start to stick to the sides and mix to form the perfect paste.

Add all the other ingredients to the mixing bowl with the cocoa powder in and whisk everything together well, making sure to get rid of any lumps.  If it's a bit on the thick side (it should be fairly liquid for a pudding mix) add a splash more milk.  Divide the pudding mixture evenly between the two mugs, pouring on top of the cocoa/syrup paste whilst trying not to get it on the sides of the mug too much.

Microwave each mug on full power (800w) for 1 minutes 20 seconds (if the top of the puddings still looks a bit raw then microwave for another 20 seconds).  Leave them for 20 seconds then turn out into a bowl, making sure to get all the chocolatey syrup out of the bottom of the mug.  Serve with lots of cream or vanilla ice cream but definitely not, in a moment of weight-watching madness, serve with creme fraiche or yoghurt.

As an alternative, after mixing the pudding ingredients together well you can add a handful of chopped up white chocolate to the mix, stir in then continue to follow the recipe as above.  I never have white chocolate in the cupboard so I rarely do this but it's an option.