A Birmingham dinner lady has parted with her secret recipe for a dish that Brummies adore. Much-loved chocolate concrete was served at schools across the city in the 1970s and ’80s.
After a discussion online reminiscing about the crumbly iconic pudding, Josephine Wheat chipped in offering up the long-standing recipe that she used to Birmingham Live readers.
Chocolate concrete has been fondly referred to by grown-ups reminiscing on their childhood school days and dinners as the “best ever pudding”. We have shared dinner lady Jo’s recipe below for all those that want to try it out for themselves.
READ MORE: ‘Best ever’ Birmingham school dinner pudding from childhood that divides opinion over one thing
Lovers of the popular pud, which was a Midlands delicacy, are still arguing over which type of custard is best served with it. Controversy surrounds whether it should be pink, minty green or even chocolate custard.
Josephine, who grew up in Lichfield and Tamworth, said she was a school cook for 20 years. Her ingredients and simple instructions for chocolate concrete are listed below – but she didn’t include anything about custard.
Recipe for chocolate concrete
Ingredients:
12oz margarine
8oz sugar
1oz cocoa
1lb plain flour
3.5oz dried milk
2oz golden syrup
1.5 teaspoons of vanilla essence
Instructions:
Cream the margarine and sugar together
Add all the other ingredients
Roll out onto a greased tray
Bake
The consensus is to bake at 180 degrees C and for about 20 minutes or until you see the right hard consistency.
You can see how it looks out of the oven in the Instagram post higher up from blogger All That I’m Eating, who had a go at the nostalgic school favourite.
Chocolate concrete has been compared to a “kind of chocolate shortbread”.
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