Serves 6
ingredients
8 large croissants, sliced thickly
150 g good dark chocolate
100g slab dark chocolate, broken into pieces
75 g butter
425 ml whipping cream
4 tablespoons dark rum
110 g caster sugar
good pinch cinnamon
3 large eggs
For the meringue:
3 egg white
180g castor sugar
method
• Butter the sides of a pyrex/lasagne dish.
• Place the 150g chocolate, whipping cream, rum, sugar, butter and cinnamon in a bowl and melt on medium in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then whisk in the chocolate mixture until it is smooth.
• Spoon about a ½ inch (1 cm) layer of the chocolate mixture into the base of the dish and arrange half the croissants over the chocolate in overlapping rows. Sprinkle the chocolate pieces over this.
• Pour half the remaining chocolate mixture all over the croissants as evenly as possible, then arrange the rest of the slices over that, finishing off with a layer of chocolate. Use a fork to press the croissant gently down so that it gets covered very evenly with the liquid as it cools.
• Cover the dish with clingfilm and allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours before transferring it to the fridge over night. (I do it about 8 hours in advance and it’s fine!)
• When you’re ready to cook the pudding, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 180°C. Remove the clingfilm and bake in the oven on a high shelf for 30-35 minutes, by which time the top will be crunchy and the inside soft and squidgy.
• Leave it to stand for 10 minutes.
• Turn the oven down to 160C
• Make meringue with the egg whites and castor sugar and top the pudding.
• Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the meringue is set and just starting to colour.
