Search this site

Maison Cupcake

Home Cooking and Baking by Sarah Trivuncic

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Baking and Desserts
    • Family Food Ideas
    • Party Food Ideas
  • Misc
    • Journal
    • Classes and Events
You are here: Home / Branded Content / Chocolate Semolina Pudding – My Grandma’s Greatest Dessert Ever!

Chocolate Semolina Pudding – My Grandma’s Greatest Dessert Ever!

October 11, 2014 by Sarah Trivuncic 19 Comments

This site content is free. When you purchase via referral links on our posts, including those to Amazon, we earn affiliate commission, at no extra cost to yourself. Thanks for reading and please share posts you find useful!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Nutella Semolina Meringue Pudding, seen from above, in an oval shaped red casserole dish, on a red gingham cloth. A serving sits in a small dish to the side.

Chocolate semolina pudding was always my favourite dessert. Whenever my grandmother telephoned me, and asked what I’d like most for pudding that Sunday, I always asked for this.

My grandmother had an old style GPO red telephone with a dial long after everyone else had switched to push buttons. She persisted in keeping it right up until the local exchange went digital and it wouldn’t work with fibre optic cables. The chunky receiver crackled badly and because Grandma always wore her hair pinned up in elaborate rolls, she’d never hold it next to her head incase it squashed her “hair-do”.  So we couldn’t hear her because of the crackling, and she couldn’t hear us because the receiver was too far away.

Nutella Semolina Meringue Pudding in an oval shaped red casserole dish, on a red gingham cloth.

Conversations were regularly punctuated with hissing noises not unlike a dial up modem and her banging the receiver on a hard surface. “Is that better?” She’d ask. “Not really, you need a new phone,” We’d reply.

“But I like this one,” she’d say and indeed it was a very attractive and important looking red telephone.  The kind that Moscow and Washington might use for matters a trifle more serious than who wants what for dessert.

Steps to make Nutella chocolate semolina pudding; cocoa powder has been added to the mixture in a red casserole dish.

So I’m having one of our regular phone calls and she’s delighted to know I’m coming home from university for the weekend and will be around for Sunday lunch or “grandma dinner” as we call it.

Chocolate Semolina Pudding – My Grandma’s Ultimate Dessert

“Do you have any special requests?” she would always ask. And I’d always say “Can we have the chocolate semolina pudding?”

It was a chocolate semolina pudding topped with meringue. Semolina isn’t anything fancy we see much of today, even then it was mostly mentioned as “soggy semolina” in a song we chanted about school dinners to the tune of Frère Jacques.

Nutella chocolate semolina, seen from above, being stirred in a red Le Creuset casserole dish.

But I loved this comforting chocolate semolina pudding baked in the oven and topped with meringue. Much as I loved my new life in London, I relished my Grandma’s Sunday dinners and puddings. Until today, I had never eaten again, it since the last time she made it for me, easily 10 years ago.

The chocolate mint version of Grandma’s semolina pudding

Her version for some reason was mint flavoured with flaked chocolate sprinkles on the meringue. I seemed to like it this way at the time (but then I liked instant whip then too) but didn’t much fancy mint in my reprisal.

So instead I’ve put my own spin on Grandma’s chocolate semolina pudding and made it Nutella flavoured. I don’t know if Grandma ever even ate Nutella but I think she’d approve.

Whisk attachment on red KitchenAid food mixer; whisked egg whites are on the lifted blades above stainless steel bowl

Grandma always served hers in a glass Pyrex dish but my Nutella version looks totally at home in this cast iron oval Le Creuset casserole dish instead.

It also meant I could thicken the semolina on the hob before putting in the oven. I kept the lid on for just the semolina then removed the lid when adding the meringue so it could go brown on top.

As I assembled this pudding I thought it would be excellent to serve around Christmas as it feels rather festive – snowy even – especially with the red dish.

Steps to make Nutella chocolate semolina pudding with hazelnut meringue; fluffy raw meringue is covering the semolina in a red casserole dish before being baked.

Le Creuset casseroles can last a lifetime

I have an old orange “volcanic” cast iron Le Creuset that belonged to Grandma but being one of their largest sizes it would make far too much semolina pudding for my little family today. I’m told she bought it in the 1960s. It has pride of place on my range cooker today. We roast chickens in it every week. It is easily sixty years old and I’m sure it will breeze through another twenty. (Question? After Armagheddon, will Le Creuset cast iron casserole dishes survive?)

You seemed to only see Le Creuset in volcanic orange at one time but these days they have umpteen colours. We chose almond cream Le Creuset for our wedding list and after ten year’s use it looks as good as new. But secretly my favourite colour is Marseille Blue with silver lid handles.

When cooking with cast iron, you need a lower heat than other pans. This is because the heat conducts so well. So take care not to burn things and clean thoroughly after use. Then your cast iron Le Creuset casserole dishes will last you a life time. Even if stuff does get stuck on, elbow grease and patience will get it off. Le Creuset do make a cleaning scrub too, kind of like facial exfoliator, but for pans.

Nutella Semolina Meringue Pudding, seen from above, in an oval shaped red casserole dish, on a red gingham cloth. A serving sits in a small dish to the side.

This Nutella chocolate semolina pudding is fairly quick and assuming you have a stand mixer for the meringue, low effort. From start to finish you could have it ready in around 45 minutes although it’s forgiving for dilly-dallying in the kitchen (as I am prone).

It’s best served hot but I’m sure it’s great cold too. Not that we ever had any left so I wouldn’t know.

Nutella Semolina Meringue Pudding, seen from above, in an oval shaped red casserole dish, on a red gingham cloth.

Nutella Semolina Meringue Pudding in an oval shaped red casserole dish, on a red gingham cloth
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Semolina Pudding with Hazelnut Meringue

Delicious traditional comfort pudding, proper old school dinners style.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Dessert, pudding
Cuisine: American, British
Keyword: chocolate meringue, chocolate pudding, chocolate semolina, nutella pudding, semolina pudding
Servings: 6
Calories: 278kcal

Ingredients

For the chocolate semolina

  • 600 ml semi skimmed milk
  • 100 g Nutella
  • 25 g cocoa powder
  • 25 g caster sugar (superfine baking sugar) I used some infused with vanilla
  • 50 g semolina

For the meringue

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 80 g caster sugar (superfine baking sugar)
  • 25 g finely chopped hazelnuts plus a few extra roughly chopped ones to scatter over the top

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to gas 5 / 190c.
  • Pour the milk into the casserole dish and add the Nutella, cocoa powder, caster sugar and semolina. Over a medium heat stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until the ingredients dissolve completely. Allow the mixture to come to the boil then simmer for two minutes stirring all the time.
  • Bake the chocolate semolina pudding in the oven with the lid on for 15 minutes then take the casserole out and reduce the temperature to gas 3 / 160c.
  • Meanwhile using an electric mixer beat the egg whites to a foam then gradually add the rest of the caster sugar and beat until you have a soft peak meringue. Fold in the finely chopped hazelnuts and use the spatula to spread the meringue over the chocolate semolina pudding.
  • Bake for 15 minutes until nicely golden on top, scatter over a few roughly chopped hazelnuts and serve.

Nutella Semolina Meringue Pudding, seen from above, in an oval shaped red casserole dish, on a red gingham cloth.

For an alternative Nutella meringue dessert try this one from Fab Food 4 All or for a bake rather than dessert check out Taming Twins‘ version of peanut butter and Nutella blondies.

This is the second of two posts commissioned by Le Creuset and Great British Chefs for their one pot cooking campaign. For the main course check out my easy one pot chicken casserole with olives and cous cous. 

This site content is free. When you purchase via referral links on our posts, including those to Amazon, we earn affiliate commission, at no extra cost to yourself. Thanks for reading and please share posts you find useful!
Filed Under: Branded Content, Family Food Ideas Tagged With: chocolate, meringue, puddings, semolina

About Sarah Trivuncic

Sarah Trivuncic has published recipes, restaurant and travel reviews on Maison Cupcake since 2009. She lives in Walthamstow, East London with her husband and teenager.
Read More/Contact

« Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine VIDEO REVIEW
Chooks Chicken Restaurant »

Comments

  1. Rosa Mayland says

    October 11, 2014 at 5:05 am

    Irresistible! This pudding looks ever so luscious and comforting.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  2. Laura says

    October 11, 2014 at 8:29 am

    I’ve never like semolina before in anything but shortbread but I think this would go down verrrrrry well =) I love your red Le Creuset pot too.

    Reply
  3. Dominic Franks (@belleaukitchen) says

    October 11, 2014 at 4:37 pm

    What a lovely post and a gorgeous story. Plus that’s one stunning recipe and such a brilliant thing to have been handed down from grandma!

    Reply
  4. Fiver Feeds says

    October 11, 2014 at 4:52 pm

    This looks delicious, I could eat entire dish myself right now! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

    October 11, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    That meringue looks incredible – I’ve never quite got the hang of it myself! Love this chocolatey pud!

    Reply
  6. Sally says

    October 11, 2014 at 5:06 pm

    I miss semolina pudding – probably haven’t had it since I left home!

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      October 12, 2014 at 12:29 pm

      I am definitely going to make it more often. To be honest it tasted good enough before it went in the oven, I might just whip it up for pudding without the meringue!

      Reply
  7. Urvashi Roe says

    October 11, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    Oh my god you are killing me. Semolina pudding with a dollop of jam was my all time favourite school dinner pudding. And now you have unveiled this chocolate version. I am going to have to make it for my girls!

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      October 12, 2014 at 12:29 pm

      Ha ha, it’s not just chocolate, it’s NUTELLA

      Reply
  8. Camilla @FabFood4All says

    October 11, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    A lovely trip down memory lane Sarah, I so remember getting sore fingers having to re-dial on the old fashioned phones and the ones in phone boxes were so stiff! A fabulous and ingenious dessert which I must make for the family as hubs and daughter love semolina pudding so I always have some in the cupboard plus it’s an integral ingredient for my roast potatoes:-)

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      October 12, 2014 at 12:28 pm

      Did you use a pen to dial numbers Camilla?

      Reply
      • Camilla @FabFood4All says

        October 12, 2014 at 2:43 pm

        No, I think a Bic biro would have slipped, just my finger LOL:-)

        Reply
  9. Domestic Goddesque says

    October 14, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    Yay! If you have made it in a Le Creuset pan it means I can bake it in the Aga without fear of destroying it!

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      October 15, 2014 at 5:05 pm

      Hi Kelly, I have never cooked in an aga but the semolina is pretty much cooked on the hob so as long as the AGA is right temp for meringue you should be good to go 🙂

      Reply
  10. recipesfromapantry says

    October 15, 2014 at 9:30 am

    I miss those dial phones. We had the same when growing up. Plus I love the recipe and really want one of those Le Creuset and mixers under the Christmas tree. Santa are you listening?

    Reply
    • Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

      October 15, 2014 at 5:06 pm

      Depends whether you’ve been a good girl! 😉

      Reply
  11. Sarah (@tamingtwins) says

    October 19, 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Oh Sarah, this looks absolutely amazing. Anything that has Nutella in gets my seal of approval, but meringue too? Geeeezz. Love it. Thanks for mentioning my blondies too.

    Reply
  12. Rose says

    February 3, 2025 at 9:16 am

    5 stars
    I love a fabulous “rethink” on an old favourite. This looks delicious with meringue on the top.

    Reply
    • Sarah Trivuncic says

      February 6, 2025 at 12:58 pm

      It’s my ultimate comfort pudding. I think Grandma would be delighted I’m still enjoying it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




© 2009-2025 Sarah Trivuncic

All content copyright of site owner
Sarah Trivuncic
except where otherwise stated. All rights reserved. Neither images or text may be reproduced without permission. Privacy / Disclosure

My Book

Cover of "Bake Me I'm Yours... Sweet Bitesize Bakes" by Sarah Trivuncic; image shows a selection of small cakes and patisserie. The book has a green polka dot spine edged with pink ribbon and a bow.

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT