A-Z of Summer: Mud Pies

There’s nothing quite like getting your hands dirty in the garden and making mud pies with earth and water but a much better mud pie is one that you can eat and who wants to eat dirt – errgghhh!

How about making a wonderfully delicious pudding instead

For the pastry

• 225g (8oz) plain flour
• 25g (1oz) cocoa powder
• 150g (5.5oz) butter
• 25g (1oz) caster sugar
• About 2 tbsp cold water

For the filling

• 175g (6oz) butter
• 4 eggs (beaten) 
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder 
• 350g (12.5oz) dark muscovado sugar 
• 150g (5.5oz) dark chocolate
• 300ml single cream

To Decorate

• 425ml whipped double cream
• 1 bar of chocolate

Method

For pastry: Sieve flour and cocoa powder into mixing bowl. Rub the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and enough water so that the mixture makes a soft dough. Chill for 15 mins. Roll out the dough and line a 23cm/9inch lose bottomed flan tin. Line with baking paper and baking beans. Bake blind in a preheated oven at 190°c/GM5 for 15 mins. Remove beans and paper and cook for a further 10 mins until crisp.

For filling: Beat butter and sugar in a bowl and gradually beat in eggs and cocoa powder. Melt the chocolate and beat it into the mixture with single cream and chocolate flavouring. Pour mixture into pastry case and bake at 160°c/GM3 or until filling is set.
For topping: Leave to cool completely, cover with whipped cream. To make small chocolate curls use a potato peeler to remove curls from the bar of chocolate and leave to chill.

Whatever you choose to do enjoy the scent of summer with Vax and Heart.