Mocha date self-saucing puddings

Mocha date self-saucing puddings

Ingredients (serves 4)
* 1 cup self-raising flour
* 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
* 1/2 cup caster sugar
* 150g (about 6) fresh dates, deseeded, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 egg
* 75g butter, melted, cooled
* cream or vanilla ice-cream, to serve
Sauce
* 2/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
* 1 1/3 cups boiling water
* 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease four 1 1/4-cup capacity, ovenproof ramekins and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
2. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in caster sugar and dates (make sure dates don't clump). Whisk vanilla, milk, egg and butter together in a jug. Pour into flour mixture. Gently stir to combine. Spoon into prepared dishes. Smooth surface.
3. Make sauce: Combine brown sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Sprinkle over puddings. Combine boiling water and coffee powder in a heatproof jug, stirring to dissolve coffee. Pour 1/3 cup coffee over the back of a metal spoon, over each pudding.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted halfway into puddings comes out clean and sauce bubbles around the edges. Serve immediately with cream or ice-cream.

Source
Super Food Ideas - August 2006, Page 84