Bonet (Italian chocolate and amaretti pudding)
- Published: 28 Nov 23
- Updated: 25 Mar 24
Bonet is a classic Piedmontese dessert showcasing two of the region’s favourite things – chocolate and amaretti biscuits. Gently cooked in the oven and entirely make-ahead, this chocolate pudding is a wonderful thing to make, eat and share.
Recipe by Chris Leach, chef at lauded Italian restaurant Manteca in London.
- Serves 6
- Hands-on time 20 min. Oven time 1 hour, plus 1 hour chilling
Ingredients
- 300g caster sugar
- 4 medium free-range eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
- 35g cocoa powder
- 30ml amaretto
- 500ml whole milk
- 200g amaretti biscuits
Specialist kit
- Loaf tin or rectangular mould
Method
- Heat the oven to 140°C fan/gas 3. Start by making a caramel. Put half the sugar in a saucepan with 50ml water over a medium heat. Without stirring, gently heat until the sugar melts. Give the pan an occasional swirl from time to time until the mixture turns a golden amber colour and smells like caramel. Don’t take it too far otherwise it can turn bitter. Pour the caramel into the base of the loaf tin.
- To make the bonet, add the eggs and egg yolk to a bowl and lightly beat (you don’t want too much air in the mixture, so do this with a fork rather than a whisk). Add the milk and remaining 150g sugar, then sift in the cocoa and a pinch of salt, stirring to combine, followed by the amaretto and finally the milk. Pour this on top of the caramel.
- Put the loaf tin in a large, deep baking dish, then pour enough boiling water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the tin. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour. Allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- To serve, run a knife around the edge of the bonet to release it slightly from the tin, then put the tin on the hob for a minute or so to gently remelt the caramel. Carefully turn out the bonet onto a serving dish or board (if it’s sticking to the tin rub the outside of it with a hot cloth, but it should release easily at this stage). Scoop up some of the caramel in the tin and drizzle it over, then crush the amaretti biscuits and sprinkle over the top (or serve whole alongside).
- Recipe from December 2023 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 482kcals
- Fat
- 11g (4.1g saturated)
- Protein
- 11g
- Carbohydrates
- 82g (80g sugars)
- Fibre
- 2g
- Salt
- 0.3g
delicious. tips
Make the bonet up to a day in advance, then turn out onto a serving plate when ready to serve.
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