Rachel Khoo: I should cocoa

If Brits are becoming nostalgic for the cakes of yesteryear, I’d like to make the case for a sweet treat precious to my youth — chocolate pudding... but not as you know it. Think of those bland packets of Angel Delight, then imagine a gloopy, unctuous chocolate pot enriched with the best chocolate and a grown-up sprinkle of sea salt, ready in minutes for a Friday night fix. Here I’ve poshed it up further with praline, which adds crunch to the creaminess. Don’t scrimp on the chocolate or hesitate with the salt, these are the angels that elevate this to sheer chocolate delight.

For the pudding

Makes 8 (100ml) servings

35g cornflour
100g sugar
400ml whole milk
200ml double cream
170g Valrhona 68% dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
½ tsp or 1 tsp Maldon sea salt

For the praline

(make while the pudding is thickening)

50g mixed nuts
75g sugar

For the pudding

In a heatproof bowl measure out the cornflour, sugar, milk and double cream. Place over a pan of simmering water and heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly. The mixture should start to thicken and coat the back of the spoon. Add the chocolate and salt and whisk it all together until the mixture is thick and glossy. Check the seasoning. Take off the heat and divide the mixture between 8 little glasses. Chill or eat hot, sprinkled with the crushed praline.

For the praline

Roughly chop the nuts (eg, hazelnuts, walnuts, macadamia, almonds, pecans). Toast in a dry pan on a high heat for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar and 25ml water into a large pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then turn up to high. When the mixture starts to bubble and go golden, add the nuts and stir. Once the sugar and nuts are a dark golden caramel, pour on to the tray and spread thinly with a knife (be quick as it sets fast). Leave to cool then crush.