Can I use honey instead of golden syrup for chocolate pudding for Christmas pudding haters? | Ask Nigella.com

Our response

Nigella’s Chocolate Pudding for Christmas Pudding Haters with Hot Chocolate Sauce (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is a steamed sponge pudding that makes a great alternative to traditional Christmas pudding. The sponge cake is served with a hot chocolate sauce made from a mixture of milk and dark chocolate and cream.

The sauce is sweetened with golden syrup and the syrup also gives the sauce a glossy shine. The golden syrup is sweet, but without a strong flavor. The main problem with using honey in a recipe is that honey has a fairly strong flavor (even the mildest honeys), which is more pronounced when the honey is hot. So while you can use honey in the sauce, it will probably taste more like a honey sauce than a chocolate sauce. If golden syrup is not an option, our preference would be to use a more neutral tasting syrup, such as agave nectar, if possible. In the United States, cane syrup would be another alternative, as it has a less strong flavor than some other syrups.