Serves 4

When pierced with a spoon, the inside of these sweet little puddings should spill out in a wave of molten chocolate lava. Successfully making these can be tricky,  so keep an eye on these little puds for the last minute or two of cooking and be careful when turning them out.

Ingredients:

125g butter
2 tsp butter (to grease)
150g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
125g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
35g plain flour, sifted

Method:

• Heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Use 2 tsp butter to grease four 150ml heatproof souffle moulds or ramekins, and place on a baking tray.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. 
• Using an electric beater, beat the eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla for a minute or two until the mixture lightens in colour.
• Fold in the flour, then fold in the chocolate mixture. Pour into the moulds to fill by three-quarters.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen, when the cake is set but the centre still moves a little when jiggled. Remove from the oven and from the tray.
• Run a butter knife around each pudding before gently turning out onto a plate. Serve immediately.