Chocolate and Anise Melting Pudding

Cool autumnal nights need warming puds, and this chocolate melting-middle pudding has an unusual hint of aniseed from the star anise.  Great with vanilla ice cream for a dinner party, or just on your own for a comfort-food hit!

Melt good-quality dark chocolate and unsalted butter in a bain-marie. Crush up a flower of star anise in a pestle and mortar until it’s a fine powder.  Whisk up golden raw organic sugar - we use organic palmyra tree blossom sugar for this, the powdered star anise, eggs and extra egg yolks in a bowl until light and pale.

Slowly add the melted chocolate to the egg-sugar mixture and carefully fold in plain flour and Maldon sea salt.  Pour the mixture into little non-stick pudding moulds, filling them half full, then put them in the fridge overnight to chill.

Remove the puddings from the fridge as required, bring to room temperature and bake in a preheated oven for no more than nine minutes!  The outside of the cake mix should be set firm whilst the middle remains molten.

Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dusting of cinnamon.