3 puddings perfected for putting into bowls, warming your hands and snuggling up on the couch with.

Chocolate and caramel malva pudding

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the malva

2 cups (400g) dark brown sugar
5 large eggs
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
1¾ (263g) cups cake flour
½ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) salt
2 cups (500ml) cream
80g dark chocolate, melted
2 tsp (1ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 Tbsp (15ml) white spirit vinegar

For the sauce

¼ cup (60ml) butter
1 cup (250ml) brown sugar
1 can (410g) evaporated milk

For serving

Blueberries
Fresh mint

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Cream sugar, eggs and vanilla essence until sugar dissolves.
3. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together.
4. Fold half the dry ingredients through the egg mixture, then add half the cream. Repeat the process.
5. Fold in melted chocolate.
6. Combine bicarb and vinegar and add to mixture.
7. Pour batter into a greased 20×25cm oven dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and poke holes into pudding using a skewer or sharp knife.
8. Heat sauce ingredients in a pot until sugar dissolves, then boil for 1 minute.
9. Pour sauce over hot pudding.
10. Garnish with berries and mint to serve.

 

Recipes and photography: Fresh Living magazine

 

Creamy condensed milk rice pudding

Serves 8

Ingredients

½ cup long-grain bonnet rice
2 cups water
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups full cream milk
1 tin (385g) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Ground cinnamon, to serve

Method

1. Place the rice, water, zest and cinnamon stick in a pot over medium-low heat and cook for 15 minutes, covered, until the rice is soft.
2. Remove the cinnamon stick and drain any excess water.
3. Add milk, condensed milk and vanilla. Cook mixture uncovered over low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring often, until thick and creamy.
4. Divide the rice pudding mixture between serving glasses and sprinkle with cinnamon to serve.

Top tip: For an even creamier pudding, use short grain rice such as sushi or pudding rice.

 

Recipes & styling: Marizka du Toit
Photography: Jurie Senekal

 

Self-saucing chocolate pudding

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the pudding

2 cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
130g butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp instant coffee powder

For the sauce

1 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
Double-thick cream

Method

For the pudding

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 30×20cm baking dish.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, butter, vanilla and coffee powder until well combined.
4. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until combined. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.

For the sauce

1. Whisk together the brown sugar and cocoa in a heatproof bowl or jug. Add the boiling water and mix until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
2. Gently pour the sauce onto the pudding over the back of a spoon.
3. Bake the pudding for 40-45 minutes or until the top is firm and the pudding is bubbling around the edges. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before tucking in. Serve with scoops of ice cream, if desired.

 

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Stylist assistants: Kirsty Buchanan & Jezza-Rae Larsen
Photography: Chanelle Naudt // hmimages.co.za