A very boozy fun pudding which is so easy it’s stupid.

I have no idea of the origin of this but have been making it for what seems like forever so probably got the idea from my mother or grandmother. It’s different and reasonably spectacular. Yours might be better looking than mine… (It will depend on your time/patience.) It is only suitable for adults or teenagers who are physically big enough to cope with alcohol. I can’t imagine doing it without alcohol though I suspect cranberry juice might make an alternative if you’re teetotal or catering for children.  

Take a packet of digestive biscuits and crush them. I put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin. Don’t worry if you don’t create uniform crumbs. Now put them in a bowl and pour on port  – maybe two wine glasses full. Stir, cover and leave to soak.

A few hours later, turn the mess out onto the plate you intend to serve the thing on and shape it into a hedgehog shape i.e. domed with a flatter pointed bit at one end for the nose.

Cover the dome with whipped cream, leaving it messy and peaked for prickles. Grate dark chocolate onto the cream to look like the tips of the prickles. Use chocolate buttons for the eyes and nostrils.

Eat in fairly small quantities. I did it for Boxing Day. Grandchild, who is 14 and adult-sized, didn’t like it because they said it sort of burnt their throat… Everybody else was very happy.