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Coca cola chocolate fondant puddings with salty cola nuts

Soft drink has never been my vice.  And it seems I’m not alone with worldwide sales of the stuff in decline. Coke, the perpetual number one seller, is utter junk. But there is little else in this world that mixes so pleasantly with a variety of spirits, helps the ails of a hangover post said spirits, or refreshes you at the end of a long hot summer day, in quite the same way. I discovered some old cooking recipes of South American food stalwart Edna Lewis where she incorporates cola across a range of sweet and savoury dishes. After a certain amount of internal wrangling, I decided to put it to the test, using the coke as a natural rising agent for these little fondant puddings. By using a dark, more, bitter tasting chocolate, the sweetness of the coke is not nearly as present as you would think.  After the dark, just sweet and salty taste of these puddings, I’m not so sure I’ll be turning my back on the fizzy stuff after all.

Ingredients

6 egg yolks

125g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

225g butter

200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

250ml coca cola

50g plain flour, sieved

50g cocoa powder, sieved plus extra for dusting

Thin cream to serve

Cola nuts

1 cup coca cola

Mixed nuts

Healthy pinch sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until pale and thick.

Meanwhile melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat. Once melted, add the coca cola and stir to combine. Set aside to cool completely. Add the chocolate cola mixture to the egg mix. Gently fold in the flour and cocoa until just combined. Pour the mixture into a jug and allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes.

Grease and line 6 x 250ml dariole moulds. Pour the mix into the moulds until ¾ full and bake for 20 minutes or until they look firm and brown on top and just set.

While the puddings are cooking, make the coca cola syrup by adding the coke to a saucepan and cooking for 10 – 20 minutes over a low to medium heat or until reduced by half. Add the nuts and salt and stir to coat. Pour the nuts onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until lightly coloured, being careful not to let them burn.

Invert the puddings. Top with the candied nuts and drizzle over the cream and any remaining coca cola syrup. Serve hot.

Serves 6

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