Choc Chip & Banana Pudding W/Glossy Choc Sauce (Steamed)

This is another lovely dessert from my Chocolate cookbook by Christine McFadden & Christine France. These girls never fail me! This 1 is steam-cooked in a 4-cup bowl. My steamer is oblong-shaped & will not accept a 4-cup rd bowl, so I have made it in 4 individual dessert bowls & 8 ramekins. Adjusted cooking time for these sizes is noted below. The taste of banana & choc is pleasingly subtle here & combines w/an almost gingerbread flavor that reminds me of my mom. Serve it warm w/the choc sauce as suggested below. You are going to love this!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 Pudding Wedges

Ingredients

• For Pudding

• 1 1⁄4 cups self-rising flour
• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine)
• 2  ripe bananas
• 6  tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1  egg (beaten)
• 1⁄4 cup chocolate chips (or chopped unsweetened chocolate)

• For Glossy Chocolate Sauce

• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 6  ounces chocolate (chopped into sml pieces)
• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2  tablespoons brandy (or orange juice)

Directions

1. Prepare a steamer or half fill a saucepan w/water & bring to a boil. Grease a 4-cup deep bowl.
2. Sift flour into a bowl & rub in the unsalted butter or margarine till the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
3. Mash bananas in a bowl. Stir them into the flour & butter mixture. Then add the sugar & mix well.
4. Whisk milk w/the egg in a measuring cup or sml bowl & beat into the pudding mixture. Stir in the choc chips or chopped chocolate.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared bowl & cover lightly w/a double thickness of foil. Steam for 2 hrs & add water as needed.
6. While the pudding steam cooks, prepare the glossy choc sauce as follows:
7. Place sugar & water in heavy saucepan & heat gently. Stir occ w/a wooden spoon till all sugar has dissolved.
8. Stir in the choc till melted & add butter the same way. DO NOT LET THE SAUCE BOIL. Stir in brandy or orange juice & set aside, but do not chill.
9. When pudding has finished cooking, allow it to cool slightly, run a knife around the top of the pudding to loosen it & turn it over onto a serving dish.
10. Serve warm w/the sauce ladled over ea individual serving.
11. NOTE: For 4 individual servings in dessert bowls or 8 ramekins, divide batter equally in the 4 (or 8) containers, cook in steamer for 1 hr & test w/toothpick. If not done, cook an add'l 10 min & remove from steamer to cool slightly b4 serving. Enjoy!