Better Homes And Gardens Steamed Chocolate Pudding Recipe

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Introduction

Christmas pudding isn't for everyone and, even though I have faith in my pudding's ability to convert, there's no point nagging or, indeed, fighting against real, die-hard antipathies. Besides, I have never met a child who likes Christmas pudding, and it seems unfair not to give a treat to everyone.

The joy of this is that you can mix it all up in a processor while the Christmas pudding's in mid-steam (I dash into the kitchen in the middle of lunch to do just that, with ingredients measured out and ready, and basin prepared) then put it into the top part of the steamer, while the Christmas pud steams in the bottom part. Obviously, you can steam it in a separate pan if you want.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS

2008

Chocolate Pudding for Christmas Pudding Haters With Hot Chocolate Sauce — Photo by Lis Parsons

As featured in

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS

2008

Ingredients

Serves: 10-16 as part of the feast

Metric Cups

For the Pudding:

175 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
40 grams cocoa powder
175 grams caster sugar
175 grams soft butter
60 millilitres plain yoghurt
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

For the Sauce:

125 grams milk chocolate (chopped)
125 grams dark chocolate (chopped)
250 millilitres double cream
75 grams golden syrup
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Pudding:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
¾ cup superfine sugar
1½ sticks soft butter
¼ cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

For the Sauce:

5 ounces milk chocolate (chopped)
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

You will need a 1.7 litre / 3 pint heatproof plastic pudding basin with lid.

Butter your heatproof plastic pudding basin, remembering to grease the lid, too. Make sure you have adequate boiling water in a pan (or a conventional steamer) on the hob to steam the chocolate pud.
Put the flour and cocoa powder into a processor and blitz to get rid of any lumps.
Add all the remaining pudding ingredients to the processor and blitz, for longer this time, to mix. Take the lid off, scrape it down, then put the lid back on for 3 more long pulses, scrape the chocolate batter into the prepared basin, smooth it down (the batter will come only halfway up the basin) and put on the lid. Wrap the basin tightly in foil, so no water could possibly get in, and steam in the boiling water in the pan or steamer for 1½ hours (by which time the pudding will have risen to about 4cm / 1½ inches below the lid). To cook it for longer will do no harm.
To make the sauce, which can easily be done before you eat, and reheated just before you serve the pudding, put all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and place over a gentle heat to melt, stirring every now and again and then whisking, off the heat, at the very end, to combine smoothly.
When the pudding is ready, remove it carefully from the pan or steamer without burning yourself, then unwrap from its foil casing, unclick and remove the lid. Put a plate, or a stand, with a slight lip, on top, flip both upside down, so plate and pudding are the right way up, and wiggle off the basin.
Pour some hot sauce over the pudding, so that it just covers the top and falls in glossy, licking drips down the side, and pour the rest of the sauce into a jug or bowl to be served with a spoon.

You will need a 1.7 litre / 3 pint heatproof plastic pudding basin with lid.

Butter your heatproof plastic pudding basin, remembering to grease the lid, too. Make sure you have adequate boiling water in a pan (or a conventional steamer) on the hob to steam the chocolate pud.
Put the flour and unsweetened cocoa into a processor and blitz to get rid of any lumps.
Add all the remaining pudding ingredients to the processor and blitz, for longer this time, to mix. Take the lid off, scrape it down, then put the lid back on for 3 more long pulses, scrape the chocolate batter into the prepared basin, smooth it down (the batter will come only halfway up the basin) and put on the lid. Wrap the basin tightly in foil, so no water could possibly get in, and steam in the boiling water in the pan or steamer for 1½ hours (by which time the pudding will have risen to about 4cm / 1½ inches below the lid). To cook it for longer will do no harm.
To make the sauce, which can easily be done before you eat, and reheated just before you serve the pudding, put all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and place over a gentle heat to melt, stirring every now and again and then whisking, off the heat, at the very end, to combine smoothly.
When the pudding is ready, remove it carefully from the pan or steamer without burning yourself, then unwrap from its foil casing, unclick and remove the lid. Put a plate, or a stand, with a slight lip, on top, flip both upside down, so plate and pudding are the right way up, and wiggle off the basin.
Pour some hot sauce over the pudding, so that it just covers the top and falls in glossy, licking drips down the side, and pour the rest of the sauce into a jug or bowl to be served with a spoon.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Weigh all the pudding ingredients the day before, ready to whizz together. Make the chocolate sauce up to 1 week ahead, then cool and chill until needed, reheating gently on the hob or in the microwave.

FREEZE AHEAD TIP: Make and freeze the chocolate sauce for up to 3 months, and reheat as above.

Try This Tip

Preventing Sticky Ingredients From Sticking To Your Measuring Cups

From Arthur in the Garden!

Asked and Answered

Steaming Christmas Pudding

Tell us what you think

What 13 Others have said

Made this for Christmas with Trader Joe's Gluten Free flour and it was amazing!

Posted by Michellemowzoon on 27th December 2020
I just made this today and it was a delight! Easy to make and leave to simmer whilst eating the rest of Christmas dinner. My mum is pre diabetic so I halved the sugar and it turned out fine. Super fluffy. It pushed the lid off but I was probably liberal with the baking powder! Multiple helpings were had!

Posted by wildflowers on 25th December 2020
Does anyone know if you can make this with gluten free flour?

Posted by JulietT9 on 20th December 2020
Absolutely delicious! Made it for the first time last year and it will now be on the menu for every year - my daughters' favourite (they don't like dried fruit!).

Posted by GiaH on 3rd December 2020
Scrumptious!! This has become a Christmas staple. Thank you Nigella

Posted by nadee_ms on 26th December 2019
As a trial run for the coming Christmas party I made this using 1/3 of all the ingredients. All I can say is this pudding is heavenly, especially the sauce. But I've got a problem: the top of the cake (the bottom when it's served) was uneven. I used cake flour instead of plain flour and steamed my pudding in a pressure cooker. Does anyone know where the problem lies?

Posted by jeffffrey on 15th December 2019
This pudding is particularly good. I haven't made it for the last couple of years but it's getting a turn this year. I remember that the chocolate sauce is particularly good too and if you find that you have some left over at the end of it all then stick it in the fridge and once it pretty much sets, you can add a reasonably thick spread of it onto a digestive biscuit. Heavenly.

Posted by Eliza-T on 3rd December 2018
pmvidal - this has no dried fruits as it's specifically billed as suitable for people who don't like that kind of pudding. Children for example who dont really like it. I'm not a fan of Christmas pudding or cake. They're all a bit intense for me. Nigella's traditional Christmas pudding is elsewhere on the site.

Posted by Raphaelite_Girl on 2nd December 2018
The recipe lists this as feeding 10m- 16 as part of the feast. Listing is just under "Ingedients" heading.

Posted by MaryK on 7th December 2017
Made this for Christmas and it was divine!!! We had it with some vanilla ice cream, yum... thanks Nigella for another amazing recipe!! Happy holidays

Posted by nadee_ms on 27th December 2016
Don't know if I'm being a dingbat, but I can't see how many people this serves. Can someone give me an idea please? Thanks :-)

Posted by rachysetty on 21st December 2015
Hi, Just curious, how come your christmas pudding has no dried fruits, etc. thanks. Julie Vidal

Posted by pmvidal on 18th December 2014

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