School Chocolate Cracknel with Pink, Green or Chocolate Custard

Also known as chocolate concrete or chocolate crunch, this classic school pudding can be served with the famous (or infamous!) pink, green or chocolate custard. This treat was so named because as this chocolate style shortbread cooled, it became very hard and crunchy.

Milk Chocolate

5/5
1

9 servings

15 mins

Ingredients

Plain flour 225g (8oz)

Cocoa powder 50g (2oz)

Caster sugar 175g (6oz)

Unsalted butter 175g (6oz), melted

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Granulated sugar 2 tbsp

For the custard
Cornflour 15g (½oz)

Milk 300ml (½ pint)

Butter 15g (½oz)

Caster sugar 2 tbsp

For chocolate custard: Dark chocolate 25g (1oz), grated

For pink custard: Raspberry or vanilla extract ¼–½ tsp and a few drops of red food colouring

For green custard: Peppermint extract ¼–½ tsp and a few drops of green food colouring

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Line a 20cm (8in) square tin with baking paper.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and caster sugar.

Stir in the melted butter and vanilla

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down well with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 30–35 minutes until crusty at the edges. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.

Use the paper to lift the cracknel out of the tin. Cut into 9 squares and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

To make the custard: mix the cornflour to a smooth paste with a little of the milk. Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan until almost boiling, then pour onto the cornflour paste. Return the milk to the pan and simmer, whisking, for 2–3 minutes until smooth and thick.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and sugar, plus the chocolate or extract and colouring, depending on your choice of custard.

Serve with the chocolate cracknel.

Cook’s Tips

The cracknel can be eaten on its own but it is quite hard, hence the nickname concrete.