Pot Au Chocolat

Serves 4-6

A stunning chocolate cream dessert that's made in seconds flat and is made very special indeed by the judicious use of some apricot jam given to me by a friend's mum. If you can't find apricot jam made by an Armenian lady living in Amman, then just buy some semi-set French stuff from a shop. It won't be the same, but...

You'll need 4-6 pots or glasses to serve it in: even 8 if you're going to go for a dessert that's more a taste than a heart attack. Ideally made the day before, but give it at least 3 hours before you want to serve it up.

Ingredients

• 350g bitter chocolate
• 400ml double cream
• 1 egg
• 4 dsp apricot jam
• 2 dsp brandy

You'll need a blender or one of those hand whisk whizzy things. Heat the cream in a pan, making sure it doesn't burn. Meanwhile, break the chocolate (it should be decent quality high cocoa stuff) into the whizzer and, just to be safe, break the egg into a measuring jug.

Life's safer if you give the chocolate a quick whizz to really mash it up before the hot cream hits it.

When the cream in the pan's bubbling up, pour it into the whizzer bowl and whizz it, adding the egg. Now mix the apricot jam, slicing up any fruit lumps, with the brandy and then dot it into the base of your chosen serving containers, dividing it up evenly. And then pour in the chocolate mixture, cover with some cling film and slip it into the 'fridge to cool, for at least 2 hours.

You can put a chocolate curl on top if you want to be flash, otherwise just serve away.