Chocolate Insanity

It’s been over a week since my first post. In that time I have been trying to come to terms with the mechanics of blogging and subsequently have changed the appearance of my blog. We will see how long this one lasts. I have always liked re-decorating. There is still a lot to learn. My biggest hang-up is the photographs. The best sites have spectacular visuals. I am no where near being close to anything spectacular. In fact it has been holding me back slightly. I think I might have posted something sooner had it not been for that block in my creativity.

I need to let myself off the hook a little. After all it is my creative journey. Which means I start in one place and end up somewhere very different. Hopefully that will be a place where beautiful photographs are being taken! We’ll see.

In the meantime bear with me.

To get myself back in the blogging mood I have been scouring through a lot of other foodie sites to see what everyone else is doing. Of course the big theme of the week is Valentine’s Day – pink cupcakes and heart shaped cookies galore. One thing I did notice was the number of “food challenges” going on ie everyone bakes the same thing and blogs about it. Sounds like a good way to meet other bloggers and share in their culinary delights/disasters.

Although not officially signed up to any, I decided to take part in the current Monthly Mingle challenge as posted on Life’s A Feast. As the last day for posting is today I was a little up against. However, as soon as I thought about the two main ingredients – bread and chocolate – I remembered an inspired dish from Jamie Oliver’s recent book, Jamie’s America. I was completely addicted to the series and got stuck in to cooking from the book as soon as it hit the shelves. The dish in question is Bread Pudding and Chocolate Beer Sauce and was featured in The Times.

Well hopefully my pictures as displayed below will tempt you in to trying this dish of pure chocolate pleasure. Served with cream or ice cream it’s something to behold either shared with friends or quietly on your own. But be warned it is only for the serious chocolate lover. The beer sauce is thick and intense and should only be used sparingly. Jamie calls it “insanely delicious” but warns it is just for a treat!

So treat yourself, go on…you know you want to.

Bread Pudding & Chocolate-Beer Sauce

as adapted from Jamie’s America

Serves 8-10

To make the pudding:

5 eggs
5 tbls cocoa powder
5 tbls golden caster sugar
300 ml single cream
700 ml semi-skimmed milk
1 x 800g of sliced white bread (not the ends)
100g dark chocolate
Handful of pecan nuts chopped
Sprinkling of sugar

Preheat oven to 180c/350f/gas 4.

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl with the cocoa powder and sugar and whisk until combined. Combine cream and milk and gradually whisk in to egg mixture. Cut slices of bread into triangles and add them to the mixing bowl, a few slices at a time. Soak them gently for about 30 seconds.

Using an ovenproof dish or tin about 30cm x 25cm x 6cm deep, layer the soaked bread in the dish. Pour over any remaining custard.

Break the chocolate in to chunks and stick it between your slices of bread.

Scatter your chopped pecans over the top of the pudding, then sprinkle over some sugar evenly from above.

Put the pudding into the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until it’s golden and the custard is set but still wobbly.

To make the sauce:
100ml dark beer
100ml double cream
2 tbls golden caster sugar
100g dark chocolate
Sea salt

Put the beer, cream and sugar in to a pan over a medium heat. Stir until it comes to a boil and then take it off the heat. Break the chocolate up as before and stir into the hot cream mixture with a small pinch of salt.

Drizzle the pudding sparingly with your chocolate-beer sauce.