Here are a few of my favorite things about Winter, in no particular order:

1. Well-loved soft woollen jumpers

2. An open fire

3. Listening to rain on the roof while cozy in bed

4. A walk in the brisk cold to invigorate the senses and generate some fresh energy and thoughts

5. Hot chocolate

6. A break from jobs that need to be done in the garden

7. Dessert

8. Red wine

9. Pajamas

10. Slow cooked meat

You may notice that dessert does feature on the list. We are not regular dessert eaters, it is a very occasional treat. At the end of a grey, miserably cold Winters day dessert can brighten everyone’s day. For this reason dessert tends to feature on lour family menu more often in Winter than it does in Summer.

This self saucing pudding is a dessert I created for the kids a couple of weeks ago. It features seasonal oranges and a double dose of chocolate for good measure. Self saucing pudding is a dessert that I had as a treat when I was growing up. This version is milk free, but not dairy free. There is minimal sugar in this recipe so it is not overly sweet. The kids will not go wild before bed from the sugar intake in this dessert.

Print Chocolate Orange Pudding Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 35 mins Chocolate Orange Pudding Recipe. Low sugar and milk free, a self saucing Winter dessert that is sure to brighten even the greyest of days. Course: Dessert Servings : 4 Author : Kyrstie Barcak - A Fresh Legacy Ingredients 1 cup of self raising flour

3 tablespoons cocao powder

1/4 cup Rice Malt Syrup

1/2 cup Coco Quench

1 egg lightly beaten

55 grams good quality dark chocolate chopped

60 grams melted butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 cups hot water

1/2 cup orange juice freshly squeezed Instructions Set the oven to heat to 160 degrees Celsius Add the flour, cocao powder and rice malt syrup to a bowl Add the milk, egg and chopped chocolate and stir to combine Stir in the melted butter Spoon the mixture into single serve pudding bowls or ramekins sprinkle the top of the mixture with a little of the brown sugar Combine the hot water and orange juice and pour an equal amount over each bowl Bake in the oven for 25 minutes Remove and serve with plain yogurt or cream or ice cream if your prefer.

What do you love about Winter?

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend.