WHAT could be more indulgent than a chocolate pudding? Add some bananas for extra flavour and it’s a fabulous weekend treat.

The ice cream is optional – you can buy your own if you don’t want to make it.

Warm chocolate and banana bread pudding with Horlick’s ice cream

For the banana sponge:
3 ripe bananas
150g margarine
225g sugar
3 eggs
350g self-raising flour
1½tsp baking powder

Method:

Puree the bananas. Add the cream, margarine and sugar. Add the eggs.

Fold in the flour and baking powder, then fold in the banana puree.

Bake on silicone trays at 160°C for about 50-60 minutes

For the ganache:
180g double cream
30g granulated sugar
30g butter
260g bitter sweet chocolate

Method:

Combine the cream and sugar then boil. Pour over the butter and chocolate. Allow to stand for a few minutes, stir until smooth and allow to set.

For the chocolate custard
300g double cream
1100ml milk
450g dark chocolate
100g butter
6 eggs
4 egg yolks
220g soft brown sugar
100g banana flavouring

Method:

Bring the milk and cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and add to the chocolate and butter.

Mix until melted, then return to the pan. Bring until just under the boil, whisking constantly.

Add the hot liquid to the eggs and sugar then add banana compound and sieve.

To assemble:

Cut the sponge into 1in dice and soak with custard. Leave to soak for a couple of hours.

Place 45mm rings onto a silpat lined/non-stick tray then half fill the rings with the mixture. Stud the centre of each with a ball of ganache (ensure that ganache does not touch side of ring).

Fill the rest of mould with sponge, doming the top. Pour over more custard to moisten.

Bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes before removing rings

For the Horlick’s ice cream
1l full fat milk
1l whipping cream
480g pasteurised egg yolk
500g caster sugar
200g Horlicks

Heat the milk and cream with half of the sugar until boiling. Whisk yolks together with remaining sugar until pale. Pour boiling liquid onto yolks. Return to a clean pan and cook very slowly, stirring continuously until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (82°C).

Remove from heat and place immediately on ice, whisking in Horlicks whilst still very hot. Ripen overnight before churning.

Paul O’Hara is head chef The Clubhouse at Rockliffe Hall, tel. 01325 729999, rockliffehall.com