Sticky Toffee Pudding
So now that the holidays are resting comfortably in our recently upgraded memories (my new hard drive makes me happy), and the new years celebrations are all in the books, should we mourn the loss of all the gastronomic delights we’ve enjoyed? In a word, no. This is a great time to enjoy a warm, hearty soup with a crunchy salad, and follow this with a wonderful and gooey Sticky Toffee Pudding. At Gabrielle’s, the Boston Bibb and Romaine Hearts salads both are simple dishes that are at once filling and healthy. The Boston Bibb salad is an inviting combination of bibb lettuce, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, gorgonzola and avocado. Mix these together with a peppery citrus vinegrette and allow a little gorgonzola and avocado to satisfy that hunger. Or, you might try the Romaine Hearts salad with roasted pepita seeds, radicchio, and goat cheese. Here are a couple photos to tempt you a little.
Boston Bibb Salad
Romaine Hearts Salad
These salads are guilt free choices that can provide the justification to continue enjoying the daily mission of feeding the inner child “good eats”. And, they also furnish us with the option to choose a sweet finish to a light meal. Reenter the Sticky Toffee Pudding. As the above photo suggests, this pudding places a firm grip on your concept of pudding and twists it with Chef J’s disciplined touch. Plated, this dessert entices you with a warm caramel aroma coupled with a cooling and creamy ice cream. As with all of the menu selections, Chef J invites you to try these ideas at home. Be adventurous and creative, we won’t mind. If you discover an interesting variation to the dessert or have your own that you’d like to share, just drop us a comment, we’d love to try your favorite ideas as well.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
makes 6 servings
Pudding
- 10 oz dried apricots or dates
- 3/4 cup coffee
- 2/3 lb. unsalted butter
- 1 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 tbls. vanilla
- 1 2/3 cup flour
- 3/4 tps salt
- 2 tps baking soda
Caramel Sauce
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 stick butter
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Coarsely chop the apricots or dates and simmer in a small saucepan until soft, about 5 minutes.
Combine the apricots (or dates) and coffee in a blender. Melt the butter over a low heat and add to the blender with the apricots and coffee. Blend for a few seconds to combine. In a separate large bowl combine the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk until incorporated. Add the apricots and coffee from the blender and stir. In a separate bowl add the flour, salt and baking soda and combine. Add the flour (dry) mixture to the wet ingredients. Using 4-6 oz ramekins, pour the mixture into 6 equal sized ramekins. Bake in a water bath @ 350 for 8-12 minutes depending on the size of your ramekin. They are finished when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
In a dry 5 qt. sauce pan heat the sugar over moderately low heat, stirring once with a fork and gently swirling the saucepan until melted and golden. Remove from the heat and add the cream and butter. The mixture should steam and then harden slowly. Place pudding in center of a plate or bowl and drizzle with caramel sauce. Top with your favorite ice cream. Vanilla of course works well, but try coffee ice cream or hazelnut gelato for an extra smooth finish.
