One Minute Self Saucing Nutella Mug Pudding for One

Movie ticket for one. Table for one. Pudding for one.
Sounds lonely.
I don't like doing those sorts of things on my own. Never really have had to fortunately. But it sounds way too lonely to be any fun.
Until last night.
I did it.
I went solo.
My husband said it was the perfect night for pudding. It was cool--the type of night you just want to roll up in a ball in front of a log fire like a cat and bask in warmth and hibernate there forever.
But what to do when you can't be bothered cooking pudding for an hour because you're way too tired and it feels like a hundred hours past your bed time?
One minute self saucing microwave mug pudding. And even better, it's choccas with Nutella. Can't really go wrong there.
I can tell you I got a little excited seeing the pudding magically rising before my eyes in the coffee mug and it made its way slowly around the microwave carousel. Nothing really beats chocolate self saucing pudding made in the oven, but this came pretty close, and considering it took so little time, it turned out to be a winner. It's a self saucing pudding, and the sauce sits awaiting at the bottom of the mug, making it fudgy the further you dig the spoon down. Ooh laa la! So good with ice cream...and perfect consolation food for those damn heartbreaks and breakups most people suffer at least once in their lives. Forget eating out of a tub of ice cream. Get to it! It will only take two minutes of your time to put together, and another in the waiting for it to cook, and voila! Better than tall, dark and handsome? Yes...it's rich too.
This decadent recipe makes one generous serve in a large mug (my mug wasn't on the large side, hence the explosion)...so if you're in a wonderfully happy loving relationship, grab two spoons and share it with your significant other. You could even add walnuts to this recipe for something really special--and I also like to add a dollop of cream for nice contrast. Dessert tonight--sorted! In less than 5 minutes from beginning to end.

ONE MINUTE SELF SAUCING NUTELLA MUG PUDDING FOR ONE (from Live Love Pasta)

1 egg
4 tbsp self raising flour
4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp nutella
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp oil

Place all the ingredients in a large mug. Thoroughly whisk with a fork until well incorporated and the egg is well broken down. Place in the microwave and cook on high, for approximately 1-1.5 minutes. Cooking time will vary due to the differences in strength from microwave to microwave. Serve with cream or ice cream if desired.

Wicked Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce

What's your favourite and most used foodie adjective? I love describing food, but I have to stop myself from getting too carried away and from getting too poetic. I get on a roll talking about it and I often think it must bore people who aren't as interested in food as I am. Its a bit like when the boys start talking footy, I tend to zone out and stare blankly into the distance and all I hear is blah blah blah blah.
I apologise to you if I have ever talked you into a daze with my foodie nattering. I suppose if I had, you wouldn't be here, coming back for more.
Anyway, I once worked for a wonderful woman who told me to make a salad look "sexy" for the display cabinet. I couldn't believe my ears, and wondered what on earth I was meant to do to that salad. Give it curves?
I always thought that was a weird way to describe jazzing up food. It didn't seem to be the right word to use, but I suppose some would disagree. I thought it sounded a bit off. I don't want to eat sexy food, do you?
But when I describe this dark chocolate fudge sauce as being wicked, I mean it. It is almost black with cocoa, drizzles slowly with a certain lethal attitude, is super thick and holds a deadly sheen. If it could laugh it would sound like a deep, evil chuckle. It looks so delicious served warm and drizzled over ice cream, and tastes even better than it appears. You will want more ice cream after a bowl of it, just to experience that chocolate fudge sauce again. It's the ultimate temptation, and that's why it is so wicked. To make things even better, its slightly boozy, and can be flavoured as desired. I added Frangelico liqueur to this mix, but hubby and I both agreed that creme de menthe or mint liqueur would have also been amazing.

WICKED DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE SAUCE (adapted from My Sweet and Saucy)

200g good quality dark chocolate bits
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. golden syrup (corn syrup can substitute)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. instant coffee granules
1 tbsp. frangelico or other flavouring

Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl. Cook at 20 second intervals, removing to stir before setting on for a further 20 seconds. The melting time will depend on the strength of your microwave, however when there are just small lumps of chocolate among the melted, you can just give it a good stir until it's smooth. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, place sugar, golden syrup, water, cocoa and cofee granules. Set at a medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture comes to the boil. Cook, still whisking, for a further minute, before removing from the stovetop. Whisk in the chocolate and alcohol until smooth. Serve warm over icecream, profiteroles etc, or bottle and refrigerate until ready to use.

NOTES: I recommend using a bottle with a wide mouth that a spoon can fit into if refrigerating, as the sauce thickens when it cools. You can reheat the mixture quickly in the microwave, but be careful not to burn it. Makes about 2 cups.

Fudge Mint Brownie with Peppermint Marshmallow Creme Parfaits

After mentioning he thought he might be turning onto "a geletinous mass" (or Mass-ey), I thought I had better cut back on the sweet baking for the sake of my darling husband. After all, not everyone in the world can eat all the rubbish I do and somehow get away with it. *insert horror laugh*
Its a good thing that Lent soon followed, as we give up sweets during the week until Easter, anyway. So it was a little easier for me to resist.
But when Saint Patrick's Day shot up on the calendar, my plotting began. Starved of sugar and all things gooey for a week or two made me feel a little evil, and I dreamed up a deadly concoction--Chocolate Mint Brownie and Peppermint Marshmallow Creme Parfaits with Chocolate Fudge Sauce.
Of course, I had to invite my darling guinea piglets (my in laws, who have happily taken on the task) over for dinner and dessert on that wonderful feast day.
We stared with Spicy Tomato Koftas and ended with these lethal desserts...which no one could finish. They were the definition of decadence in the extreme. They resulted in lots of ooohs! and ahhs! and a little later... *ooooooohs* and *ahhhs* of defeat. Next time I make these babies, they will be half the size. I didn't hear anyone complaining though. But next time I will make the portions a little more appropriate.
As I have said before, everything I make is experimental. The recipe I found for Marshmallow Creme called for corn syrup, which I substituted with glucose which was hanging around in the pantry. It was a perfect replacement. Feel free to use either though, in the same measurements, as its impossible to buy this fluffy goodness in Australia. Ooh la la!

BEST EVER CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES WITH MINT SLICE

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
300g Chocolate Mint Slice Biscuits, broken into quarters

Preheat your oven to 190C.
Melt butter and remove from heat. Stir through the cocoa and brown sugar until combined.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Next, blend in the flour and salt. Spread a thin layer of mixture in an 8 inch greased pan. Place a layer of broken mint biscuits ontop of this mixture. Spoon on the rest of the brownie mixture and smooth the top.
Bake for 20 minutes.

PEPPERMINT MARSHMALLOW CREME

3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup glucose
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. peppermint extract
several drops of green food colouring

In a clean, dry glass bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar until light and foamy. Gradually add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat on high until soft peaks form.
In a small saucepan, place glucose, granulated sugar and water. Cook over a medium heat until the mixture boils and comes to the firm ball stage (syrup should turn into a firm but pliable ball when dropped into a glass of cold water).
Slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the egg white mixture with the beaters running on low. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 5 minutes until the mixture is super thick and glossy. (My beater died as a result. I think it overheated, as it stopped working and strated smoking. Be sure to give it a few minutes rest after a few minutes of beating!)
Beat in the extract and some food colouring until it is the desired shade of green.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE SAUCE

1 cup thickened cream
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/8 cup butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Heat cream and sugar in a small saucepan on a medium heat, until the sugar dissolves. Add the chocolate and butter and stir on low until all melted and combined. Liqeur may be added if desired, for extra flavour.

THE PARFAITS:

With your fingers, break up the brownie and place a layer at the bottom of each glass. (this recipe makes 8 large glasses of this dessert) pour a little fuge sauce over the top of the brownie. Fill a piping bag with a large star nozzle with marshmallow cream and pipe around the top of the fudge sauce to form a layer. Continue layering in such manner until the desserts are completed. You may wish to finish off withsome coarsely grated chocolate or leftover mint slice.
Enjoy!!!

NOTES: these desserts may also be enjoyed after freezing for a few hours. You may also wish to make mini parfaits in shot glasses for a party. Delicious!