Coronapudding

Humour in food is, perhaps, a dangerous thing but this dessert, which is a representation of a coronavirus, tastes absolutely wonderful - even decadent.  Any bad taste in its appearance is overwhelmed by the flavour.

Preparation Time: 30 Mins

Cooking Time: 1½ Hrs

Total Time: 5 Hrs

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

For the chocolate sponge

100 gms          Butter       

150 gms          Flour  - self-raising   

150 gms          Sugar  - caster        

2                    Eggs        

1                    Egg yolk    

50 gms            Cocoa powder         

1 drop             Milk         

100 gms          Chocolate  - dark, grated        

To decorate

10 cl               Cream  - double      

½ tbs             Grand Marnier         

8                    Cherries  - crystallised, halved  

To serve

                     Cream  - double      

Method

Prepare the chocolate sponge…

Lightly butter and flour a 900 ml mould.

Beat the butter and sugar until almost white and the sugar has dissolved.  Beat in one egg at a time, making sure, after each egg is added, that the mix is fully incorporated and fluffy.  Do the same for the yolk.

Add the flour and cocoa and beat until they have been completely incorporated into the mixture.  Add the milk if needed.  Stir in the grated chocolate.

Spoon the mixture into the mould.  Cover with a lightly-buttered square of tin foil, lightly folding it over the rim so the sponge pushes up the foil during cooking.

Steam the sponge over boiling water for 90 minutes.  Top up the boiling water as needed during cooking.  Leave to cool and then turn out on to a serving plate.

To decorate the pudding…

Beat the cream with the Grand Marnier until stiff and then pipe blobs of the cream randomly, but evenly, on to different parts of the chocolate sponge – so about 50% of the surface is covered.  Spear the half cherries with cocktail sticks so that the cherries rest at one end of the sticks.  Push the other ends of the sticks into the sponge so that the cherries remain about 2½ cm from the surface of the sponge.

To serve…

Serve with cream for pouring.

Variations

The crystallised cherries can be replaced by fresh cherries, brandied cherries or strawberries.

Wine recommendations

A sweet, fortified, wine.

Conventional

     Floc de Gascogne rouge

Adventurous

     Oloroso Sherry

     Rasteau Rancio