Fabulous Pudding Recipes?

[spacemonkey]

My contribution to christmas dinner this year is making the puddings. I'm not making xmas pudding (don't really like it, I might buy a nice one for those that do) but I would like to make three puddings:

• a trifle
• little pots of chocolate mousse, as rich as possible
• something with apples or rhubarb

I can make a good sherry trifle, but rather fancy the idea of doing a variation on the trifle theme. Maybe an Italian trifle with amaretti and lemoncello or something like that? Anyone got any ideas?

Also want to find a recipe for a very rich choc mousse to make in little pots.

And any suggestions for a fabulous apple or rhubarb pudding that I can prep in advance?

TIA for any ideas x

Made the Marscapone one on Saturday (1.5 tub marscapone, 1 bar chocolate, one generous slug brandy, no butter but some skimmed milk to make it low fat... serves 4 with one spare for testing ) Needs to be chilled in the fridge if you want it firm, if you leave it out to set it's all lovely and gooey inside.

That sounds amazing. I must make it today.

I've just realised I have half a tub of Marcapone in the fridge and a bar of chocolate and DH is out tonight...

It's the sort of recipe you need to try out LOTS of times and tweak it to suit your personal requirements

My MIL makes a lovely trifle with ginger cake and pears. I could get the recipe if you're interested. Nigella has a million rhubarb recipes and a rhubarb trifle. I made a translucent apple tart from How to eat the other week and that was fab and very easy - just pastry and then one apple grated mixed with melted butter - it was really nice.

What did you decide on Spacedonkey ... are you doing a trifle? Which one? I'm tempted by the Nigella one but since I love custard I'm dithering about whether to make a more traditional one...

Don't know if you will see this but wanted to thank Soupie for her take on the Jamie Oliver chocolate recipe. I did it with biscuit crumbs in the base and it was divine and went down very well with my guests on Monday. But so rich - I think I made the servings too big TBH but never mind. So thanks again.

There's no such thing as too big a portion...