CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA MARBLED PUDDINGS

TO PREPARE AHEAD: The puddings be made up to a day ahead then reheated gently in a moderate oven. The sauce can be made 3 days in advance and gently reheated in a pan.

TO FREEZE: Not suitable. THESE puddings are quick and easy to make and perfect for the family. We use 150ml (¼ pt) timbale moulds, but you could use ramekins if you prefer. The chocolatey chocolate sauce is also quick to make, and goes incredibly well with ice cream, desserts, sponges, fresh fruit – anything, in fact!

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/ Gas 4. You will need 6 × 150ml (¼ pt) pudding basins, buttered and base-lined with a disc of baking parchment.

2 Measure the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and baking powder into a bowl and mix with an electric hand whisk until combined.

3 Divide the mixture into 2 equal halves. Add the blended cocoa to one half and the vanilla extract to the other half.

4 Spoon alternate teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the pudding basins and then swirl with a skewer – right down to the bottom of the basins.

Serves 6 175g (6oz) softened butter

175g (6oz) caster sugar 175g (6oz) self-raising flour 3 large eggs ½ tsp baking powder 1½ tbsp cocoa powder, blended with 2 tbsp boiling water

2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolatey chocolate sauce:

175g (6oz) plain chocolate (39 per cent cocoa solids) 1 × 170g can evaporated milk

5 Cover each pudding with a square of buttered, pleated foil.

6 Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until risen and springy to the touch. Leave for 5 minutes and then run a knife around the edge to loosen and turn out on to a plate.

7 For the sauce, break the chocolate into cubes. Pour the milk into a small non-stick saucepan and stir over a medium heat until just below boiling point.

8 Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate, then stir until melted and smooth.

9 Pour over the turned-out puddings.