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English Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

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 A friend and I just went to Beckham Grill for lunch. They ask if we would like to see the dessert menu. Why do they even bother to ask 2 women that question when they know the answer. We decided to get out of our comfort zone of always ordering chocolate molten cake or crème brule and opted for the English Toffee Sticky Pudding cake. Since this was new to both of us, we decided, why not.  Oh boy, were we in for a surprise. The waitress assured us that we would like it. She didn’t lie.

This is the most delectable yummy, amazing, wonderful, delish dessert I have had in a long time. When we ask what it was, she went to ask the ingredients, but came back telling us that they had a company make it just for them. We immediately Googled (are we not the most hip women in Pasadena) English Sticky Toffee Pudding cake. This one popped up and it looked just like the one we were having. When I read the list of ingredients, my lunching friend was shocked. “You mean I loved something that had dates in it?”  She couldn’t believe it, since she said that she hated dates. Apparently she doesn’t. I had to fight tooth and nail to get my half of the cake.   But the waitress assured us that it did, in fact have dates in it. So I am home and headed to the kitchen. I have got to make it tonight. Truly a great Fall, Winter, (Spring, Summer) Holiday Dessert that will knock your Christmas stocks off!  (or your Easter Bonnet)         

INGREDIENTS

Pudding

  • 1/4         cup         (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan    
  • 1 1/2         cups         sifted all-purpose flour plus more for pan    
  • 1 1/2         cups         chopped pitted dates (about 6 ounces)    
  • 1         teaspoon         baking soda    
  • 1         teaspoon         baking powder    
  • 1/2         teaspoon         Sea salt    
  • 1         cup         sugar    
  • 1         teaspoon         vanilla extract    
  • 2                  large eggs    

Sauce

  • 1 1/4         cups         (packed) light brown sugar    
  • 1/2         cup         heavy cream    
  • 1/4         cup         (1/2 stick) unsalted butter    
  • 1         teaspoon         brandy (optional)    
  • 1/2         teaspoon         vanilla extract    
  •                   Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream    

         

   

Pudding

  • Preheat oven to 350 °. Butter and flour Bundt pan. Bring dates and 11/4 cups water to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan with tall sides. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will become foamy). Set aside; let cool.
  • Whisk 11/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/4 cup butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend (mixture will be grainy). Add 1 egg; beat to blend. Add half of flour mixture and half of date mixture; beat to blend. Repeat with remaining 1 egg, flour mixture, and date mixture. Pour batter into mold.
  • Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 40 –45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert pudding onto rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Sauce

  • Bring sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in brandy, if using, and vanilla. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm gently before using.
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Cheese Stuffed Chicken Roll Ups

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Having some test done last week, I had to fast from liquids and food. Why is it that during those times, every food magazine that I subscribe arrives during those fasting hours. Every recipe looks divine and you promise yourself that as soon as the test is over you will head to the kitchen and bake up some of the fancy foods that you drooled over a few hours before. I was so hungry that even the horrible bottles of white liquid that I had to drink , was beginning to appeal to me. It is bad when  you are so hungry that you can’t wait till it is time to drink the stuff you are required to drink. I found myself looking at the clock to see if it was time to start drinking. Well, the tests are over but all I could think about was a greasy hamburger and French fries. Never mind the delicious looking recipes that had looked so amazing just the night before. Give me grease and carbs….but, it is now a few days later and the new recipes that I found last week are beginning to conjure up great visions of family and friends sitting around the table just waiting for me to walk out of the kitchen with a dish that will make their mouths water. Here is the first of the many dishes that I cannot wait to try this season.

 

8 skinned and boned chicken breast halves

1 teas salt

1/2 teas pepper

4 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tables olive oil

1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened and cut in cubes  (in other words, 4 oz)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 tables flour

1/2 teas nutmeg

1/2 teas cumin

16 frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed

Melted butter

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and flatten to 1/8″ thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. (I usually have this done at the meat market)

Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper, set aside.

Saute spinach and onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese until blended. Stir in mozzarella cheese and next 6 ingredients.

Spoon 1/4 cup spinach mixture on center of each chicken breast half, and roll up, jellyroll fashion.

Unfold phyllo sheets on a lightly floured surface. Stack 2 phyllo sheets, brushing with melted butter between sheets. (keep remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.)

Place 1 chicken roll on short side of phyllo stack; gently roll up, folding in long side. Repeat procedure with remaining pastry sheets, melted butter and chicken. Place rolls in a shallow pan and brush one more time with melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until done. Serve with a mushroom gravy or atop salad greens.

Chocolate · Desserts

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

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YUM!!!!

Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Filling

2 packages (8 oz each) softened cream cheese

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk (not sweetened condensed)

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup (6oz) Nestle Toll House Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom of a 13×9″ baking pan. Set aside

For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and flour in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

Microwave morsels in medium bowl on medium high power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 15 second intervals until most morsels are melted. Stir to melt them completely until smooth. Stir 1 cup cream cheese mixture into the peanut butter chocolate melted chips.

Pour the remaining cream cheese mixture over crust. Pour chocolate mixture over cream cheese mixture. Swirl mixtures with knife pulling the plain cream cheese mixture in swirls with the chocolate mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Cool completely on wire rack and then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Cut into bars.

Makes 15 bars

 

Cakes · Chocolate · Holiday Fare

Chocolate Praline Cake

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IMG_1408

What a gorgeous creation, just perfect for a dessert centerpiece.  To save time and energy, bake your favorite chocolate cake mix in 2 (9″) cake pans. Let cook completely. Set aside while making Chocolate Ganache and Praline Frosting

Ganache

1 (12 oz)  package semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a glass bowl at medium power 2-3 minutes or melted. Stirring at 1 min intervals. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add butter, whisking until smooth. Cool, whisking often for 15 min or until spreading consistency.

Place one chocolate cake layer on a serving platter. Spoon half of ganache over layer. Let sit for about 10 min to allow ganache to set up on cake layer. Place 2nd cake layer on top and use remaining ganache. While this is setting up, make the praline frosting.

Praline Frosting:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in  1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in toasted pecans, stirring gently 3-5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thicken slightly.  When frosting is of spreading consistency, pour immediately over top of cake. If you wait to long, the frosting will harden and you will not be able to spread over cake. Decorate with whole pecans. Pr

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Babysitting With Candy Crush

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It is getting serious. My daughter just called for our morning visit. As always, I ask how her night went and what they did. She reminded me that she babysat her friends two children, which told me that son-in-law kept her kids, while she went to keep the other small children of her friend. So when I ask about how Eric did with staying home and keeping their kids while she was down the street babysitting, she told me that she took Jaden, 11 and Caleb, 3 with her, leaving the 1 yr old, Noah with Eric. That way she could be sure that Jaden got his homework done and use Caleb to help entertain the other 3 yr old. When I expressed that that was a great idea, she finally confessed. Her friends children began to chase Jaden around the house, so that also kept Caleb busy. When she noticed that all 3  kids were then occupied with chasing Jaden, she took advantage of this and sat back and played Candy Crush. She said that her only job then was to look up every once in a while and yell, “quiet down a little, you’re getting a little to loud.” Apparently they were distracting her from being able to complete a new level. She was finally able to complete 2 new levels. She was so proud. Of course, the kids had a great night. Jaden didn’t have to do his homework, and the younger ones were late getting to bed, but that was insignificant to the fact that she was able to play CC without interruption. She convinced herself that it was good for Jaden to learn responsibility of taking care of younger children. I guess she will begin to use him to entertain Noah, giving her more time to complete lever 70. Honestly, I thought I did a better job of raising her. Note to self “write a little note to Jodi encouraging her to seek help for her CC addiction.”

I am so glad to I know that I could quit CC any time I wanted. I only play while watching tv, relaxing or in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. I’ll get that note written to her as soon as I finish this next level.

appetizers · Breads · Holiday Fare

Blue Cheese & Bacon Puffs

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What a great appetizer for those holiday parties. This recipe makes 6 dz! You will have plenty to snack on while putting the finishing touches to your table, while waiting for guest to arrive, still having plenty for the party. Taken from a SL magazine, 2001. The dough is like the dough you make for cream puffs, but used as appetizer with cheese instead of cream filling.

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teas salt

1/4 teas black pepper

1/4 teas ground red pepper

6 large eggs

8 oz crumbled blue cheese (Stilton is a good brand to use)

8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

4 green onions

Bring the water and butter to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and next 3 ingredients; cook, beating with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a smooth ball of dough. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Mix in cheese, bacon and chopped green onions.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful 2″ apart onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Puffs will be moist in the center. Serve puffs warm or at room temperature.

Puffs may be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight and reheat at 350 for 5-7 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Kitchen Addiction

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IMG_1397IMG_1400IMG_1399Image

I don’t know what is happening, but the past few days, I cannot walk through the kitchen without baking. Is it the weather? Is it that I know I am getting older and there are so many recipes out there and so little time, or is it that I am just a sugar hoarder? Last night I found myself making the carrot cream cheese pound cake that I posted yesterday and it is absolutely amazing. Then this morning, I headed to the kitchen, still in jammies and pulled out the Pillsbury Pumpkin cake mix and proceeded to bake Pumpkin Poppers that I talked about the other day. I just followed the directions on the box except that I added 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Baked them in mini muffin pans (made 60) and then rolled them in cinnamon sugar while still hot out of the oven. Have eaten 5. Then our daughter sent us a picture of Kenley our grandaughter we are headed to see at Thanksgiving. They were making acorns out of miniature Nutter Butter cookies, Hershey Kisses and chocolate chips. A little melted chocolate holds the 3 items together, as you can see in the picture. So open those windows, celebrate this gorgeous autumn weather and get those baking pans out. Baking time is here.

Cakes · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Carrot Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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The thought of going a full day without posting something sweet just makes me crazy. When I found this in the same old Tea Time  Magazine that the Bittersweet brownie recipe came from, I saved it for when I had the energy to shred 2 cups of carrots, but now that you can buy them in the store already shredded, I love to make any type of carrot cake. This one combines the flavor of cream cheese in the cake. So…when you are thinking, “I need to eat more veggies” hiding them with cream cheese is a great way to eat healthy. At least in my world.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 ( 8oz) cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teas ground cinnamon

6 large eggs

1 teas vanilla

1/2 teas lemon extract (or orange extract) (I used the orange because I added orange zest to the batter)

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325. (I added orange zest along with orange extract) Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Using mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5-7 minutes.

In small bowl, combine flour and cinnamon. Add 1 cup flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Add 2 eggs, beating just until yellow disappears. Repeat procedure with remaining flour and eggs.

Stir in vanilla and lemon (or orange) extract, carrots and pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Glaze

2/3 cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoon orange juice

Add enough powdered sugar to make glaze spreading consistency.

In small bowl, combine sugar and orange juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Starches · Vegetables

Caramelized Onion & Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes (or Cauliflower)

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As I was writing that title, I’m thinking to myself, if you are not eating potatoes, why not substitute cauliflower. Taken from a November 2001 Southern Living, this is a favorite side to all meats.

Since getting quite a few emails telling me that I needed to post something besides desserts 95% of the time. I listened. So for the remainder of this week, I will post great holiday sides, meats or salads. (I know I can’t stand to not post a few desserts, so might have to post a couple of times a day to get in my 95% desserts, plus the other foods I have promised. So here it is; the first of the commitments:

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (or cauliflower)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided

2 tables butter

1 tables olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teas chopped fresh or 1/2 teas dried rosemary

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup half & half

3/4 cup Gorgonzola or blue cheese

3/4 teas pepper

Garnish: fresh rosemary springs

Bring potato or cauliflower to a boil with 1 teas salt with enough water to cover in a Dutch oven; cook 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm.

Melt 2 tables butter with oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and cook, stirring often, 12-15 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary, remove from heat.

Mash potato or cauliflower with a potato masher, stir in 1/2 cup butter, half & half and cheese until blended. Stir in onion mixture unto a lightly greased baking dish.

Broil 3″ from heat 5 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired. You can just sprinkle paprika and dried parsley if you don’t have fresh rosemary sprigs.

Serves 6-8 people

Now can I post the new carrot pound cake recipe that I found?

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Crab Streudel

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I am not a big seafood lover, but this streudel sounded really different and good. The fact that it is made with phyllo dough makes it a recipe that I will try. This will be an awesome appetizer for the holiday open houses.

1 (16 oz) package phyllo dough

Filling

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

1 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley

1 tables Dijon mustard

1 cup white bread crumbs

Juice of two lemons

Salt and Pepper

Melted butter

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine lump crab meat, chopped chives, parsley, Dijon mustard, bread crumbs and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using a French bread pan or two 9×5″ loaf pans, line pan with individual sheets of phyllo pastry that have been brushed with melted butter, making three layers, (each loaf pan with use 3 sheets)

Place filling into center and completely wrap with phyllo pastry.

Trim edges to make streudel neat. Brush top of phyllo with melted butter. Place on baking sheet and bake for approx. 20 minutes.

Serve with Red Wine Butter Sauce

2 shallots, minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

3 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups red wine

6 tables red wine vinegar

2 tables heavy cream

6 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

Salt and Pepper

Juice of 2 lemons

In saucepan, combine shallots, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, red wine and red wine vinegar.

Bring mixture to a boil and cook until nearly dry (approx. 3/4 volume is reduced away)

Add heavy cream and stir. Over low heat, begin to slowly add butter into sauce a few cubes at a time until all butter is incorporated.

Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and strain mixture through fine sieve.

Keep warm until ready to serve.