The first thing that comes to mind when you mention chocolate melt-in-the-middle puddings (or their more pretentious sibling, the chocolate fondant), is an unfortunate mental image of MasterChef’s Greg Wallace with a spoon handle protruding out of his mouth. MasterChef and chocolate puds are synonymous and go together like, well…John and Greg. Striking fear into the hearts of contestants, you could cut the tension with a knife when the spoon falls through the pudding. Will it unveil a gooey, molten core or will a dry, cake-like texture indicate game over? When the former is achieved, they are a sublime, velvety chocolate sensation.
As great as they are, unfortunately they’re not particularly healthy. But yes, it’s not something you’d have every day – or even every month. It’s a treat food, and I’m all up for treats. But during one of my spontaneous mid-week recipe testing, I played around with one of the Hemsley sister’s guilt-free dessert recipes and was bowled over by what I was rewarded with. You won’t believe me when I say it has all the rich, indulgent qualities a good chocolate pud should have, with an equal dose of HEALTH benefits. Composed merely of coconut oil, raw cacao powder (packed full of anti-oxidants and rich in nutrients) and agave/date syrup, this pudding is free from refined sugars and flour to boot. But it certainly hasn’t lost the yum-tious factor and I took the liberty to add in a little extra for good measure….
The ‘clean-eating’ sisters anoint their version with jewel-like figs – amazing if they’re in season. But I was after something far more decadent for my mid-week sweet treat. So, being the nut butter badass that I am, I decided to generously marble the glossy batter with liberal dollops of creamy peanut butter.
Before sharing the recipe, I must just say a few words on the main components of this pud – coconut oil and cacao powder. Being the exotic ingredients that they are, understandably, there are matters of sustainability that need to be taken into account.
Coconut oil:
In a nutshell, it’s a wonder product. Not only is the oil used for food and body care products, but it can also be used in household cleaners. But despite being used more and more in products, coconuts still fetch a very low price and coconut farmers in Indonesia and the Philippines are amongst the poorest of the poor. What’s more, coconuts are mainly grown as a mono-crop, fostering an environment of low crop diversity that can be detrimental to the environment and risky for farmers. When you’re out shopping, look out for the Fair Trade Certified label on products. When you see this, you can be assured the coconuts were produced with care for not only for people, but the planet – when farmers are paid more, they are more likely to reflect sustainable practices in their farming.
Raw cacao powder:
Most raw chocolate is produced by smaller companies with transparent sourcing policies, which means that most of it comes from small Fairtrade farmers and collectives in Ecuador and Peru. Most is also organic so free from pesticide residues. Perhaps the biggest green tick is the minimal use of energy needed in production – because the cacao is heated at very low temperatures, very little energy is used.
Housekeeping over. Now for the good bit….
Ingredients
(In theory should serve 2, but having it to yourself is quite nice too)
50g coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp cacao powder
1 1/2 tbsp date syrup/agave/maple
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
sea salt
1 tbsp of peanut butter
Preheat the oven to fan 180C/Gas mark 6. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then set aside.
Add the cacao powder, a pinch of salt to bring out the sweetness, your syrup of choice, vanilla, bicarb and mix well. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl (if you want extra volume, you could separate your egg and whisk the white separately). Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture – the mixture will satisfyingly thicken to a glossy custard as the eggs cook in the residual heat. Taste for sweetness and adjust as necessary.
Spoon the mixture into two small ramekins or one larger one (like I did). Confidently dollop over your peanut butter to achieve a Jackson Pollock-like masterpiece. Bake in the oven for around 10 minutes, but keep an eye on them when they near the end of their time. It will be ready when it’s risen to a dome but still has a pleasing wobble when shaken. Serve immediately and enjoy!
The Eco Glutton 