Simple chocolate sauce
Melt chocolate and mix with cream, sugar and a glug of almond liqueur, if you like, to create a decadent sauce
Pour enough oil into a large saucepan to come halfway up the sides, it should be about 7cm deep. Heat until the oil reaches 170C-180C on a thermometer, or if you don’t have one drop in a chunk of bread – the oil is hot enough when it browns in about 30 secs.
Whilst the oil heats up, whisk together the flour, icing sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and a good pinch of salt. Transfer the batter to a disposable piping bag and secure the end with a peg (you’ll need another peg for the other end, once you’ve cut it open.)
When the oil is hot, snip off the end of the piping bag to make an opening about 1cm wide – the batter will drizzle out so pinch it closed until you’re ready. Hold the piping bag over the oil, release your finger and drizzle the batter in in a swirly circle shape. Pinch the opening to close it, then make another cake, you should fit about 3 in the pan it one time, depending on the width of your pan. Secure the piping bag with another peg whilst the cakes cook, they’ll need about 1 min on each side, or until they’re golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and dust generously with icing sugar, best eaten straight away.