Inside Jamie’s Christmas: Cocoa rum dessert 

AMARETTI, CARAMEL & CREME FRAICHE

Baronessa Susanna cooked this delightful dessert for me in Turin. The layers in texture from the crunchy amaretti biscuit base to the smooth, silky chocolate middle and the shiny caramel top create the most perfect mouthful – it feels wonderfully decadent. Plus rum, cocoa and caramel are a match made in heaven.

SERVES 10

1 HOUR 20 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING

unsalted butter, for greasing

100g caster sugar

50g brown sugar

4 large free-range eggs

500ml whole milk

3 heaped tablespoons quality cocoa powder

50ml golden rum

200g amaretti biscuits

crème fraîche, to serve

❄ Preheat the oven to 160C/ 325F/gas 3 and grease a 1.5 litre loaf tin with butter. Melt the caster sugar in a small nonstick frying pan on a medium-high heat until you get a rich, chestnutty caramel – swirl the pan to help the sugar melt, but don’t touch or stir it. Carefully pour the caramel into the loaf tin and tilt it around until the base is evenly covered.

❄ Whisk the brown sugar with the eggs for 3 minutes, or until light and slightly thickened. Whisk in the milk, cocoa and rum for 30 seconds, then crumble in and stir through the amaretti biscuits. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin. Half-fill a deep-sided roasting tray with hot tap water, and sit the loaf tin in the centre. Carefully transfer the tin to the middle of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove and leave to cool in the tin, then pop into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or until needed.

❄ To serve, carefully run a knife around the edge of the tin, then gently turn out the dessert on to a serving board or platter, spooning over any caramel left behind in the tin. Serve each portion with a spoonful of crème fraîche.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

233 kcal; 9.2g fat (2.6g saturated); 7.8g protein; 28.2g carbs; 27.4g sugars; 0.2g salt; 1.6g fibre