Christmas hot chocolate pudding

Method

1. Grease a 1.5 litre pudding basin, then dust with cocoa powder (see Know-how). Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating after each addition.
2. Sift over the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then gently fold into the mixture with a large metal spoon. Fold in the remaining pudding ingredients (see tips), then pour the batter into the basin.
3. Fold a crease in the middle of a piece of baking paper, then lay over the basin and tie with string. Cover with foil and turn up at the edges.
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4. Put the pudding basin into a large pan with a lid. Pour in boiling water until it comes halfway up the sides of the basin, then cover and simmer over a medium heat for 1½ hours.
5. For the sauce, put the chocolate, golden syrup and rum or brandy into a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the cream and 150ml milk in a pan until almost boiling, then pour into the bowl and stir to melt the chocolate.
6. Once the pudding has steamed, remove the foil and baking paper, run a knife around the rim to loosen it, then invert onto a plate. Pour over the hot chocolate sauce to serve.