Hot chocolate pudding with praline parfait – by Bruce Poole

INGREDIENTS

(serves 10)

For the praline parfait
12 egg whites
275g sugar
750ml double cream
350g ground praline

For the chocolate pudding 250g couverture chocolate
250g butter
175g caster sugar
75g demerara sugar
6 eggs, separated
175g ground almonds
40g flour
Hot chocolate sauce, to own recipe
Double cream
Toasted flaked almonds

METHOD

Whisk egg whites to soft peak. Gradually add the sugar, whisking after each addition to form stiff peaks. Lightly whip the cream then fold both the cream and the praline into meringue. Place parfait into a container and put in the freezer. (NB: it is best after 24 hours in the freezer.)

Preheat oven to 150ºC and lightly grease a 22cm springform cake tin. Melt the chocolate and butter over a bowl of simmering water. Beat the sugars and egg yolks until thick and pale. Add the melted chocolate and butter. Stir to combine, then fold in ground almonds and flour. Whisk egg whites to a soft peak. Gently fold into the chocolate batter. Bake at 150ºC for 45 minutes. Leave cake in tin for five minutes. Turn out to cool on a wire rack.

To serve, cut a portion of chocolate pudding, wrap in tin foil and reheat in oven. Place chocolate pudding in centre of plate with a scoop of praline parfait on top. Decorate with hot chocolate sauce, double cream and toasted almond flakes.

Bruce Poole