Sticky Toffee Pudding

I had a craving yesterday as I was making a roast dinner for some pudding so I had a look through the crazy amount of recipes I have bookmarked online and came across Sticky Toffee Pudding by The Daily Spud (one very talented blogger who beat me to win the much coveted Irish Blog Award for the Best Food/Drink Blog in 2009!). I had all the ingredients to had/good substitutes for ones I didn't have so I had to make it!

However I was struck instantly with a problem - in fact a problem with pretty much every sticky toffee pudding recipe in the world! ........ Rob doesn't like dates, no scrub that, Rob doesn't like fruit, but occasionally likes raisins if they're in the right dish so I figured I would use raisins instead of dates. Then remembered a time when we had sticky toffee pudding before and there was fruit in it which he didn't like, drastic measures needed to be taken, I was determined to make this pudding! So out came the blender and I puréed the raisins into a paste and used as an alternative to dates - rather successfully because he didn't even notice! Score!!!!!!!!

The other substitution I made in this recipe was dark brown sugar for the muscovado sugar which worked fine too.

The result - one very tasty, quick and easy pudding! Thanks Spud!!!!!
Not the best photo in the world but it sure is one tasty pud!



Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 8

Ingredients
For the cakey bit:
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
150g pitted dates puréed raisins
250ml water
2 tblsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g unsalted butter
125g light muscovado sugar dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract


For the sauce bit:
125g dark mucovado sugar dark brown sugar
125g unsalted butter
180ml double cream
pinch of salt
50 ml kahlúa (optional but lovely)

You’ll also need:
Baking tin - Daily Spud used 26cm x 18cm x 3cm. I halved the recipe and used 12cm diameter x 5cm depth

Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease the baking tin.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together and set to the side.
3. Bring the raisins and water to a boil over a medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and add the golden syrup. Stir well to combine.
5. Add the bicarbonate of soda - the mixture will froth up.
6. Cream the butter until light and fluffy, then add the light muscovado sugar dark brown sugar and cream together until light and fluffy.
7. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well to combine, then stir in the vanilla.
8. Add half the flour and mix to combine.
9. Add the date raisin mixture in 2 lots, stir to combine and finally mix in the rest of the flour until just combined.
10. Scrape the mixture into the tin and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out fairly clean.
11. To make the sauce, melt the butter and sugar together in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring often as the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
12. Add the cream and (if using) kahlua, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously and allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
13. Serve warm slices of the pudding, spooned over with the warm toffee sauce.

Daring Bakers 16: Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

Yum yum yum yum yummmmmmmmmm this was a delicious challenge! I love bakewell tart but never made one so I was rather excited. However I had a problem and do most months with the challenge because there's usually an element of "play with the flavours" and in the past I just ended up going with the flavours in the original recipe but I wanted to do something different this time so I went and stood in the jams and conserves for at least half an hour taking in all the various types and struggling to decide which one to get. 'Strawberry..... Lemon...... Blackberry..... Plum..... Raspberry...... Orange...... Rhubarb...... Apricot, mmmmm yes apricot, and I could throw in some peaches, ooooh yes, let's do that!' So it became a Peach and Apricot Bakewell Tart!

I had another problem though. I put it in to bake I went upstairs to make some phone calls and took my egg timer with me but forgot to go take the tart out of the oven when the buzzer went during my phone call so when I did go down it ended up looking like this.....



.... oops. So I ended up carving the carcinogen off....



..... and tucking in!



A yummy tart/pudding. I'm sure I'll do this again.

Peach and Apricot Bakewell Tart

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional) (I used vanilla extract)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (leave no longer than one day)

Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (I used vanilla extract)
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds (I used 100g)
30g (1oz) all purpose flour (I used 55g)

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy.
Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine.
After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Assembling the tart

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane
One handful blanched, flaked almonds (I left this out)

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base (I added a layer of peach slices over the top of my apricot jam layer)



Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Daring Bakers 14: Lasagne of Emilia Romagna

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

There's big news in the world of the Daring Bakers.

1. There is a brand spanking new website up and running - The Daring Kitchen is a fab new resource for people who take up the challenges or not, there's a great forum there with plenty of people ready to advise and generally just gossip the world of food, some great history on how the Daring Bakers came to be and has grown and details on DB in the press.

2. As well as this new site and forum there are new icons and "superheroes"




How cool are they, huh?

3. Finally, there is a brand new food event starting next month - the Daring Cooks! I've signed up to see how it goes but I'm excited for the first challenge. Each month the DB challenge is announced on the 1st and the DC challenges will be announced on the 17th of each month so the post dates are spread a little through the month.

Right, so on with this month's write up.

I was excited about this month's challenge because I've made lasagne before but never with pasta I've made myself. I was also excited because I've wanted to try making my own pasta for ages so this was perfect.



Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used cheddar instead - I just love it in lasagne)

Ragu
I used my own recipe for the ragu, it went as follows.

oil
1 onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, skinned and minced
500g mince beef
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
2 x 400ml tins of chopped plum tomatoes
worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
bay leaf

- Heat the some oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until softened
- Add the mince beef and cook through
- Stir through the basil and oregano and add the tomatoes, along with a few splashes of worcestershire sauce, some salt and pepper and the bay leaf.
- Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes





Spinach Pasta
Preparation: 45 minutes

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)


Mixing the dough:
- Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle.
- Add the eggs and spinach.
- Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid.
- As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
- With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy.
- Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour.
- Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.



Stretching and Thinning:
- If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped.
- Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn.
- As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
- Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.



- Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!
- Dry the pasta at room temperature by draping over a cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops and store in a sealed container or bag.



Bechamel Sauce
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

- Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat.
- Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth.
- Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Assembly
Assembling the Ingredients:
- Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand.
- Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove.
- Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
- Bring the salted water to a boil.
- Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary.
- The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender.
- Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking.
- When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel.
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu.
- Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese.
- Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.



Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
- Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne.
- Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through.
- Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold.
- Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

Monthly Triplet: Basic Lemon Curd

This is my 2nd of 3 recipes bookmarked for February. In my last post for February's monthly triplet (which I've just decided is the name for this'feature') I mentioned how there weren't many recipes in February's magazines that I wanted to try out, but there were 2 recipes, which doesn't work well for a 3 recipe feature but here is the first of the 2 magazine recipes - Basic Lemon Curd.

I've never really had much lemon curd but I've spotted another recipe I'd love to make which requires lemon curd so I thought why not try and make it too.

I didn't take a photo of it cos it's lemon curd, how exciting a photo are you going to get? But if you really want to see photos of lemon curd check out the Google Image search for "lemon curd".

Basic Lemon Curd
Source: Easy Food Magazine, February 2009, p 62

Makes about 500ml

Ingredients
125g butter
Juice of 4 large lemons
250g caster sugar
4 eggs

Recipe
1. Melt the butter, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. Take off the heat and set to the side.
2. In a bowl whisk the eggs until mixed together.
3. Pour half of the lemon/sugar/butter mix in with the eggs and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the lemon mixture. Bring this to the boil, stirring continuously, the reduce the heat and gently simmer until the mixture is thick and glossy.
5. Pour into sterile jar or container and leave to cool before covering and refrigerating.