carotid pulse (medicine) and Chocolate and Prune Pudding with Coffee and White Bean Ice Cream (recipes)

carotid pulse (medicine)

carotid pulse

The pulse of the carotid arteries in the neck.

Chocolate and Prune Pudding with Coffee and White Bean Ice Cream (recipes)

Serves 4-6

Preparation time

overnight

Cooking time

over 2 hours

Ingredients

½ tsp fresh yeast110g/4oz good quality plain chocolate110g/4oz unsalted butter, softened85g/3oz caster sugar2 eggs85g/3oz self-raising flour4 tsp cornflour8 prunes, preferably Agen prunes, soaked in tea overnight and then drained125ml/4fl oz vanilla custard sauce (preferably homemade)a few chocolate-coated coffee beans, to decorate (optional)For the ice cream:170g/6oz white haricot beans, soaked overnight and drained100ml/3½fl oz water200g/7oz caster sugar250ml/9fl oz milk250ml/9fl oz double cream6 egg, yolks only1 tsp chicory coffee extract2 tbsp rumFor the chocolate sauce:55g/2oz good quality plain chocolate40g/1½oz caster sugar100ml/3½fl oz water

Method

1. Make the ice cream: put the white beans in a pan, cover with water and cook over a gentle heat for 1-1½ hours until very soft. Drain the beans and place in a clean pan. Add the water and 55g/2oz of the sugar and cook for a further 5 minutes to sweeten them. Transfer them to a Food processor and blitz to a fine purée.2. Put the milk, double cream and half the remaining sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Then remove from the heat. In a bowl, cream the egg yolks with all the remaining sugar. Gently pour in the hot milk mixture, stirring all the time, then pour this back into the pan and cook over a very low heat until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don' t let it boil or it will curdle.3. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the bean purée, coffee extract and rum. Strain, then leave to cool (it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours at this stage). Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer' s instructions. If you don' t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a bowl and put it in the freezer. After about 30 minutes, when the mixture is beginning to set, remove it from the freezer and beat well with an electric beater or hand whisk to disperse any ice crystals, then return it to the freezer. Repeat this 2 or 3 times until the ice cream is set firm.4. For the pudding: preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.5. Lightly butter four 6-8cm/2½in deep flan rings (or ramekins), set them on a Baking tray Mix the yeast with 2 tsp of warm water and set aside until it begins to froth. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of hot water. Cool slightly, then mix in the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time and then stir in the yeast. Finally sieve the flour and cornflour and gently fold them into the mixture.6. Half fill the flan rings with the chocolate mixture. Place 2 prunes in the centre of each one, then top with the remaining mixture. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes. To test whether the puddings are cooked, insert a small knife into the centre of one to see if it comes out clean; if it' s a little gooey, cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.7.To make the chocolate sauce: put all the ingredients in a pan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Then bring to the boil, stirring all the time.8.To serve: unmold the chocolate puddings onto plates and spoon the vanilla custard sauce around. Top with a scoop of ice cream, drizzle with the chocolate sauce and decorate with chocolate-coated coffee beans, if liked. Serve immediately.

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