Rachel Allen's perfect comforting desserts to finish off a Sunday lunch

There’s something supremely comforting about a warm, sweet pudding at this time of the year. Serve with some softly whipped cream or a dollop of custard and you have, for me, the perfect way to end a cosy Sunday lunch.

If you should happen to have some stale (or not) leftover gingerbread kicking about, then I can recommend this pear gingerbread crumble, right. Super-simple and appropriately autumnal, it’s just what I’m wanting today.

The chocolate fudge pudding recipe has to be one of my favourites. It is adapted from a recipe we make at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, and adults and children alike adore it.

As it cooks the mixture separates divinely in to two distinct parts. On top is a soft chocolate sponge, with a very delicious chocolate fudgy sauce underneath.

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The trick is not to overcook it, otherwise it’ll be all sponge and no fudgy sauce.

The butterscotch apple pudding, another autumnal goodie, is, like the chocolate fudge pudding, what’s known as a ‘self-saucing pudding’. When baked it comprises a gently light sponge sitting atop a gooey delicious sauce. Now that’s sweet.

If you want to cook 6 individual chocolate fudge puddings, then cook them for just 15 minutes at 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6 altogether.

The apples and pears can be interchanged in both the fruity recipes here.

If you’re not planning on serving the chocolate fudge pudding straightaway, make sure to undercook it slightly, as it’ll continue to cook a bit once it comes out of the oven.

Butterscotch apple pudding

Serves 4-6

You will need:

2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm dice

125g self-raising flour

¼ teaspoon salt

200g brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

100g butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

200ml milk

2 tablespoons golden syrup

150ml boiling water

1 You will also need a 1.2 litre pie dish or a 20cm x 30cm ovenproof dish. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4.

2 Place the apple pieces in the bottom of the pie dish or ovenproof dish, whichever you are using, spreading them out to form an even layer.

3 Sift the flour and the salt into a large bowl and mix in 100g of the brown sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, the vanilla extract, the egg and the milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then whisk briefly to bring everything together. Pour the mixture into the dish, distributing it evenly over the apples.

4 Next, place the golden syrup in a saucepan with the boiling water and the remaining 100g of sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then pour this evenly over the mixture in the dish. Most of it will sink through the pudding mixture to the bottom of the dish, but don’t be alarmed – this creates a beautiful butterscotch sauce underneath the sponge when baked.

5 Now sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, then place in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top of the pudding has a very light spring when you press it with your finger. This is best served warm, with softly whipped cream, warm custard or vanilla ice-cream.

Pear gingerbread crumble

Serves 6

You will need:

6 pears, peeled, quartered and cored

50ml water

110g caster sugar

200g gingerbread

75g oat flakes

75g butter, melted

1 You’ll also need a 1-litre pie dish or 6 individual ramekins. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4.

2 Cut the pears into 2-3cm chunks, and place in a saucepan with the water and the caster sugar. Cover with a lid, place on a low heat on the hob, and cook for 8-10 minutes until the pear is soft. Tip into the pie dish or ramekins, whichever you are using.

3 Next, make the crumble. Break up the gingerbread into pieces, leaving it slightly coarse. Place it in a bowl and mix in the oat flakes and the melted butter, then scatter the crumble mix over the pear mixture, so that it’s covering the pears evenly. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until it is slightly crunchy on top. Individual ramekins will take 15-20 minutes. Serve with softly whipped cream or warm custard.

Chocolate fudge pudding

Serves 6

You will need:

175g dark chocolate

150g butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

150ml warm water

110g caster sugar

4 eggs

25g self-raising flour, sifted

Pinch of cream of tartar

Icing sugar, to dust

1 Butter a one-litre pie dish. Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6.

2 Make a bain-marie by putting a wide pan or roasting tin – one big enough for the pie dish to sit into – in the oven, with about 3cm of water in it. This protects the pudding from the harsh heat and prevents it drying out.

3 Next, place the chocolate, the butter, the vanilla extract, the water and the caster sugar in a bowl sitting over a saucepan with some water in it and on a medium heat on the hob. Ensure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Bring the water almost to the boil, then remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to melt.

4 Separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in one bowl, then whisk the yolks into the melted chocolate mixture.

5 Gently whisk the sifted flour into the chocolate mixture.

6 Now, using a hand whisk or an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites with the pinch of cream of tartar until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold this into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the buttered pie dish. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3 and cook for a further 10-20 minutes. See Tip for cooking individual ramekins. The pudding should feel spongey on top, but have a fudgy chocolate sauce underneath. Cool a little and dredge with icing sugar. Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Double-chocolate fudge pudding

Add 125g white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate) to the mixture at the same time as the egg whites.

Chocolate and orange fudge pudding

Add the finely grated zest of 1 orange to the egg yolks in the pudding.

In season: Apples and pears

The apples and pears can be interchanged in both the fruity recipes here.

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