Wintry evenings are the ideal time to snuggle up on the couch with a warm pudding in hand.

Take a spoonful of chocolate pudding – drizzled in chocolate sauce – with the satisfaction of knowing you made the dessert yourself.

Perfect for preparing for the family, it's the ideal December treat in the warm up to Christmas Day.

Whether you make this pudding today or in the next few weeks, a helping of chocolate pudding wouldn't go amiss.

Here's how to recreate Mary Berry's decadent and rich steamed chocolate pudding recipe with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate steamed pudding with chocolate sauce

• Prep: less than 30 mins
• Cooks in: one to two hours
• Serves: six to eight people

Ingredients

For the chocolate pudding:

• 125g baking spread or soft butter, plus extra for greasing
• 125g caster sugar
• Twi large eggs
• 100g self-raising flour
• 25gcocoa powder, sieved
• One tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate sauce:

• 150ml full-fat milk
• 150ml double cream
• 300g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• One tsp vanilla extract

Method

Grease a one-litre pudding basin with butter. Cut up baking paper, about the size of the bottom of the basin, and grease before placing it inside the basin, pressing into the corners.

Place all of the pudding ingredients into a large bowl. Mix until well combined, light and fluffy. Spoon into the basin and level the top.

Cut a square of kitchen foil that is about 4cm bigger than the rim of the basin, grease with butter, and make a pleat in the middle. Place on top of the basin and tightly press around the rim. Tie up with string to seal.

Place the basin in a deep saucepan and pour in boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover with a lid and place over a very low heat.

Steam over a gentle simmer for about one hour 30 minutes to one hour 45 minutes, until the top is just firm.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Remove the foil, run a palette knife around the edges and invert onto a plate. Remove the square of paper on top.

Meanwhile, place the milk and cream in a saucepan. Heat until just boiling. Add the chocolate and vanilla, then remove from the heat and stir until melted and runny.

Pour some of the sauce over the top of the pudding and cut into wedges to serve. Serve the remaining sauce in a jug alongside.