Soft Centred Chocolate Pudding

To make the soft centres, place the cream in a pan and heat gently to just under boiling point. Stir the cream thoroughly into the chocolate making sure the chocolate has completely melted. Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap and place 1 heaped teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into each cavity of the tray. Place in the freezer.

Pre heat the oven to 1700C. Grease the inside
of the pudding dishes (size 200ml) and coat with a thin layer of flour. Tap out excess flour. With a sharp knife slice the upper skin of the vanilla bean lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over low heat. Stir the chocolate occasionally and when melted incorporate
the butter.

In a mixmaster, beat 120g sugar and egg yolks until light and creamy ( for 5 minutes) then add the melted chocolate butter mixture. Sift the flour and cocoa powder and mix into the chocolate mixture. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form then gradually add the remaining 100g of sugar.

Incorporate the egg whites delicately but thoroughly into the chocolate mixture then pour into the pudding dishes to 1cm from the rim. Poke the frozen chocolate bits into the centre of the pudding making sure they are completely covered, then bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes.

Clean the rhubarb, discarding green tips and tough bases. Slice it into 5cm pieces and plan in a saucepan with the sugar, orange zest and vanilla bean skin. Add 3 tablespoons of water,
cover and cook on low
heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
until fruit is soft.