Valentina Harris

 
 Celebrity Chef & Food Writer

You can turn this simple dessert out of its mould quite easily, in fact the first time I was served it, it had been baked in a loaf tin, which meant it could be sliced into neat slices. What really makes it so very special is the taste of the delicious gianduja liqueur called Bicerin di Gianduiotto. It is very rich, so needs nothing else to go with it, but if you need to add something, then it must be very cold single cream, or a little glass of Bicerin on the side!

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:
1 litre milk
250 g plain biscuits such as Morning Coffee or Marie or Krumiri
1 tablespoon drinking chocolate powder
150 g caster sugar
6 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons Bicerin liqueur
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cold water

Method
Put the milk and the biscuits in a saucepan, bring to the boil and take off the heat. Break up the biscuits completely with a spoon. Stir in the chocolate powder. In a bowl, beat the eggs and caster sugar together thoroughly until pale and fluffy, then fold this mixture into the milk and biscuit mixture. Stir carefully to amalgamate perfectly, then stir in the Bicerin. Pre heat the oven to Gas mark 3, 325 F, 160 C. Put the granulated sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat together until the sugar has caramelized. Coat the bottom of 4 to 6 small moulds with the caramel.  Divide the milk mixture evenly between the moulds and place them all in a roasting tin. Pour enough water around the moulds to come half way up their sides and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre of a mould comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool and chill slightly before serving.

VALENTINA HARRIS