This pudding is great fun, a wonderful talking point and absolutely delicious. Your Chocolate ‘Earth’ is a moreish chocolate crunch that’s a little like a cheesecake base, with a piquant hint of salt. Serve in a garden container. (NB: buy new containers from a garden centre and wash thoroughly before use.) Serves 6

125g caster sugar

125g ground almonds

75g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

A large pinch of salt

65g melted butter

Edible flowers

For the chocolate custard:

600ml milk

190ml double cream

3tbsp cocoa powder

4 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

1½tbsp cornflour

Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Mix the dry ingredients, then beat in the butter with an electric mixer.

Pour in 200ml water in stages, beating as you go, until you have a smooth, glossy batter.

Use a palette knife to spread thinly onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for around 15 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.

Leave to cool in the pan, then crumble into your garden container and decorate with edible flowers.

For the custard, pour the milk and the cream into a pan, gently heat to a simmer and then set aside.

Beat together the cocoa powder, egg yolks, sugar and cornflour with an electric mixer on a medium speed until you have a nice, smooth mixture (you can loosen it up with a splash of the warm milk if you need to). Continue to beat as you slowly pour in the warm milk, then return the whole lot to the saucepan.

Stir constantly over a medium-low heat (don’t let it boil, or even simmer). The custard should thicken beautifully; it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon.

Serve the custard in small watering cans (the type usually used for houseplants, also new and clean) with the sprinkler heads removed.

If you’re worried it’s too thick to pour from the watering cans, whisk in some more milk to thin it.

To complete the look, you should provide trowels (also brand new and washed) for guests to serve themselves.