Chocolate pecan pudding

Serves: 6

Time to prepare: 25 mins

Time to cook: approx 1 1/2 hrs

Cals per portion: 637
For the pudding:

100g (4oz) butter, softened

100g (4oz) caster sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

100g (4oz) self-raising flour

15ml (1tbsp) cocoa powder

100g (4oz) plain chocolate, melted

50g (2oz) pecan nuts, chopped

15ml (1tbsp) milk

For the sauce:

100g (4oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces

25g (1oz) butter

30ml (2tbsp) golden syrup

A few chopped pecan nuts, to decorate

1 Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time (add a spoonful of the flour if the mixture begins to curdle). Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and fold into the mixture with the melted chocolate, chopped pecans and milk.

2 Butter and line the base of a 900ml (1 1/2pt) pudding basin with a circle of greaseproof paper. Spoon the mixture into the basin and cover with a round of greased and pleated greaseproof paper tied securely with fine string. Cover with pleated foil.

3 Steam for 1 1/2 hrs (see tip) until the pudding is risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the sponge comes out clean.

4 For the chocolate sauce, place all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and leave until melted. Remove from the heat and stir to make a smooth sauce.

5 Turn the pudding out on to a plate and pour over some of the chocolate sauce and decorate with chopped pecan nuts. Serve the rest of the sauce separately.
Top tip: If you don't have a steamer, crumple a large piece of foil into a thick round and place in the base of a large pan. Sit the pudding basin on the round of foil and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin. Cover the pan with a well-fitting lid