Hospitality

"Hospitality is a gift of your time. The most treasured gift you can make for your family and friends is a memory."
~Alda Ellis

Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

This recipe is from Mani Niall’s book Sweet!, which features various sweeteners in all their guises. From sprinkles of dark brown sugar, to swirls of agave nectar and viscous golden syrup, this book celebrates all things sweet.

Sticky Toffee Pudding demands to be served warm. I mean, think about it: soft dates, gobs of toffee, and buttery cake. If you’re going to eat a cake smothered in creamy, sugary toffee sauce, if you don’t eat it warm, you’re missing out on of one life’s great pleasures.

This recipe is from Mani Niall’s book Sweet!, which features various sweeteners in all their guises. From sprinkles of dark brown sugar, to swirls of agave nectar and viscous golden syrup, this book celebrates all things sweet.

One of things people often complain about “natural” foods is that they’re too expensive. Yes, this bag of unrefined cane sugar, called açúcar mascavo organico that I used to make this dessert, cost me around €3 at the Salon del Gusto I went to a few months back. It’s about twice what a similar-sized bag of refined white sugar would have set me back. But it has so much flavor, that even at three or four times the price, it’s still a great value. So don’t feel so guilty about occasionally going au naturel if you want.

Sticky Toffee Pudding demands to be served warm. I mean, think about it: soft dates, gobs of toffee, and buttery cake. If you’re going to eat a cake smothered in creamy, sugary toffee sauce, if you don’t eat it warm, you’re missing out on of one life’s great pleasures. Thankfully, Mani offers two ways to make this. The instructions below are for those seeking immediate gratification, and the notes after the recipe offer a do-ahead alternative, for those seeking delayed gratification.

I’ve been meaning to make Sticky Toffee Pudding for years now, almost since my high school days, which are, unfortunately, a little too far behind me. So although I’m fully-clothed, and not fraternizing with strapping young high school jocks anymore, I’m jumping around my kitchen, yelling “Sweet!” anyways.

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Dates and Candied Ginger
Eight servings

Adapted from Sweet! (Da Capo) by Mani Niall

Because I like the play of sweet and spicy, I added a handful of chopped candied ginger to the recipe. You can use Golden Syrup, which is one of the best sweeteners ever. I also made a batch with treacle from England, which is similar to molasses, and it was excellent, too.

Things got a little out of hand here, and I ended up making Sticky Toffee Pudding twice this week, the second time in my Baker’s Edge pan. If using one, bake the pudding for 35 to 40 minutes.

For the toffee sauce

2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (90g) demerara or muscovado sugar (or another dark brown sugar)
2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup or molasses
pinch of salt

For the pudding

6 ounces (180g) pitted dates, snipped or chopped
1 cup (250ml) water
1 teaspoon baking soda
optional: 1/3 cup (40g) candied ginger, chopped
1 1/4 cups (175g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (190C) and butter an 8 1/2-inch (24cm) porcelain soufflé dish (or similar-sized baking dish.)

2. Make the toffee sauce by bringing the cream, demerara or turbinado sugar, golden syrup (or molasses) and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often to melt the sugar.

3. Lower heat and simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and coats the spoon. Pour half the sauce into the prepared soufflé dish and place the dish in the freezer, and reserve the other half for serving.

4. To make the pudding, in a medium saucepan, heat the dates and water. Once the water begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Add the ginger, if using, then set aside, but keep it slightly warm.

5. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

6. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. (Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks a bit curdled.)

7. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then the date mixture, then add the remaining flour mixture until just mixed. Don’t overbeat the batter.

8. Remove the soufflé dish from the freezer and scrape the batter into the soufflé dish and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

9. Remove the pudding from the oven, and let cool slightly before serving.

Serving: Spoon portions of the cake into serving bowls and douse with additional warm toffee sauce. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream are good accompaniments, although I enjoy it just as it is.

Note: To make the pudding in advance, bake the cake without the toffee in the bottom. Let cool, then cover until close to serving time. Poke the cake about fifteen times with a chopstick. Distribute half of the sauce over the top, as shown in the photo, cover with foil, then re-warm in a 300F (150C) oven, for 30 minutes.

Parisian Hot Chocolate Recipe

Parisian Hot Chocolate Recipe: Le Chocolat Chaud

When the winter chill comes to Paris, one of the great pleasures is sipping a cup of rich hot chocolate, le chocolat chaud, in a cozy café.

Contrary to popular belief, most versions of Parisian hot chocolate are made with milk rather than cream, and get their luxurious richness from lots of top-quality chocolate. This cup of chocolat chaud is deeply-flavorful, but not over-the-top rich…so there’s no need to feel guilty indulging in a nice, warm cup whenever you feel the need.

Parisian Hot Chocolate

Four ‘Parisian-sized’ Servings

2 cups (.5l) whole milk
5 ounces (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, (with at least 70% cacao solids), finely chopped
optional: 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1. Heat the milk in a medium-sized saucepan.

2. Once the milk is warm, whisk in the chocolate, stirring until melted and steaming hot. For a thick hot chocolate, cook at a very low boil for about 3 minutes, whisking frequently. (Be careful and keep an eye on the mixture, as it may boil up a bit during the first moments.)

3. Taste, and add brown sugar if desired.

Serve warm in small demitasse or coffee cups.

Note: This hot chocolate improves if made ahead and allowed to sit for a few hours. Rewarm before serving. I also like to add a few flecks of fleur de sel, the very good sea salt from Brittany.

Happiness and Thoreau

Hershey 'Perfect Chocolate Cake'

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa baking power, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs. milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan, turning onto a wire rack. Frost as desire


'PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE' FROSTING

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Alternately add confectioners sugar and milk. Beat to spreading consistency.
Add a small amount of milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.