Soft Chocolate Pudding with Berries

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C in a fan oven), 350°F, gas 4 and line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.

To make the base, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and leave to cool slightly. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla seeds until white and creamy and stir in the chocolate.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Mix together the flour and the cocoa powder and place on top of the chocolate mixture. Add the beaten egg whites and carefully fold everything together.

Spread the sponge cake mixture onto the prepared baking tray approx. 1 cm high. Bake for around 10 min then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Cover the inside of the dessert rings with a strip of foil and cut 8 small circles (7-8 cm diameter) out of the cake. Place half the circles in the dessert rings.

To make the mousse, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie along with the cognac and the espresso.

Beat the egg yolks with the vanilla sugar until creamy and beat the egg whites until stiff gradually adding the sugar.

Whisk the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture, place the whipped cream on top and stir in quickly. Then carefully fold in the egg white mixture.

Transfer the cream to the dessert rings, place the remaining cake circles on top and chill in the fridge for approx. 3 hours.

To make the garnish, carefully warm the cream and dissolve the white chocolate in it. Set half aside and dissolve the dark chocolate in the remaining half.

Place a spoonful of the white chocolate mixture onto a plate and draw a spiral in it with the dark mixture. Use a toothpick to draw the lines out in points towards the edge to create a decorative pattern.