This pudding is great fun, a wonderful talking point and absolutely delicious. Your Chocolate ‘Earth’ is a moreish chocolate crunch that’s a little like a cheesecake base, with a piquant hint of salt. Serve in a garden container. (NB: buy new containers from a garden centre and wash thoroughly before use.) Serves 6
125g caster sugar
125g ground almonds
75g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
A large pinch of salt
65g melted butter
Edible flowers
For the chocolate custard:
600ml milk
190ml double cream
3tbsp cocoa powder
4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
1½tbsp cornflour
Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Mix the dry ingredients, then beat in the butter with an electric mixer.
Pour in 200ml water in stages, beating as you go, until you have a smooth, glossy batter.
Use a palette knife to spread thinly onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for around 15 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.
Leave to cool in the pan, then crumble into your garden container and decorate with edible flowers.
For the custard, pour the milk and the cream into a pan, gently heat to a simmer and then set aside.
Beat together the cocoa powder, egg yolks, sugar and cornflour with an electric mixer on a medium speed until you have a nice, smooth mixture (you can loosen it up with a splash of the warm milk if you need to). Continue to beat as you slowly pour in the warm milk, then return the whole lot to the saucepan.
Stir constantly over a medium-low heat (don’t let it boil, or even simmer). The custard should thicken beautifully; it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
Serve the custard in small watering cans (the type usually used for houseplants, also new and clean) with the sprinkler heads removed.
If you’re worried it’s too thick to pour from the watering cans, whisk in some more milk to thin it.
To complete the look, you should provide trowels (also brand new and washed) for guests to serve themselves.
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