The sweet midwinter: Chocolate & rum pudding 

I serve this with sharp berries or, in winter, sliced oranges topped with demerara sugar. You could substitute the rum with ½ tsp ground cinnamon, a splash of orange-flower water and some chopped candied orange peel, or throw in a handful of chocolate chips. 

SERVES 8

800ml whole milk

150g salted butter

160g caster sugar

180g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

80g plain flour, preferably type 00

2 tbsp rum

sugared raspberries and redcurrants, to serve

• In a small saucepan, set the milk over a gentle heat and bring to just before the boil. In a second saucepan, melt the butter over a very gentle heat, then stir in the sugar. Add the chocolate and whisk vigorously until smooth and melted. Sift in the flour, little by little and keep whisking until you have a smooth, chocolatey custard.
• Pour the hot milk into the chocolate cream and keep whisking over a very low heat until the mixture thickens; this should take 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rum and pour the chocolate custard into a large jelly mould. Leave to cool for 30 minutes, then set in the fridge for 4 hours, or until set. You can keep it like that, covered, for up to 4 days.
• When you are ready to serve it, plunge the mould (up to roughly two-thirds) into a dish of hot water for a few seconds, then turn it out on to a plate. Serve with the berries.