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Really Easy Chocolate Pudding

Serves 8:

• 125g/4½oz self-raising flour
• 175g/6oz butter
• 175g/6oz castor sugar
• 6 tbsp cocoa
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp rum (optional)
• 175g/6oz soft brown sugar

Heat the oven to 200 C.

Boil a kettle and measure 400ml/¾ pint boiling water in a jug. Add the soft brown sugar and 3 tbsp of the cocoa, stir well to mix, and either pour into a large soufflé dish, or divide between 8 ramekins.

Put all the other ingredients into a food processor, whiz to mix and pour on top of the wet cocoa mixture. (Put ramekins onto a tray), put into the oven and cook the large soufflé dish for 40 minutes, or ramekins for 15 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.

Serve just as it is, dusted with icing sugar, with lashings of cream or crème fraiche. Be aware, a sauce will have formed at the bottom, and this will be very hot!

If you are cooking this for a party, prepare the wet cocoa mixture and ramekins, put all the ingredients into the food processor and leave until you are ready to put in the oven, then it is just a question of whizzing the mixture up and pouring on top of the sauce before you pop them in the oven.

If you do not have a food processor, you can still make this, by creaming the castor sugar and butter, beating in the eggs, milk and rum, and then folding in the flour

.