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  We had Sticky Pudding when we were in London last summer and loved it! I decided to look up recipes and I found this one! I made a half recipe and we enjoyed our sticky pudding and had left overs for another day! You can add chopped nuts on top if you want. It's a rich dessert!
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• 8 ounces medjool dates , pitted
• ▢1 cup boiling water
• ▢1/3 cup butter , room temperature
• ▢2/3 cup light brown sugar , firmly packed
• ▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢2 large eggs , room temperature
• ▢2 Tablespoons molasses
• ▢1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢¼ teaspoon salt

Toffee Sauce:

• ▢1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢½ cup butter
• ▢3/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
• ▢1 Pinch salt
• ▢2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or ramekins.
• Add the dates to the bowl of a food process or blender and pour boiling water on top. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the batter: Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and then stir into the batter.
• Pulse the date mixture in a food processor, then stir in baking soda. Pour date mixture into batter (no need to strain) and fold in gently to combine (don’t over-mix).
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 18 – 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with few crumbs. Don’t overbake or cake will be dry. (For square baking pan, bake for 22-25 minutes).
• Serve muffin cakes flat-side up, with warm toffee sauce on top.

Toffee Sauce:

• Add cream, butter, brown sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, and slightly thickened about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Spoon toffee sauce over cake and garnish with chopped walnuts, if desired.
• Store the cakes and sauce (in an airtight container) separately for up to five days in the refrigerator.

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

 

This is so good! I've made it twice so far and we have loved it each time! I want to put it here so that I don't have to search through so many recipes online to find the right one. I took out the wine and just made it with more beef stock. We serve this over mashed potatoes

Ingredients

6 slices bacon

3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 large carrot, sliced

1 large white onion, sliced

1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups red wine, like a chianti

5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves smashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 small pearl onions

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 herb bouquet (4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf)

1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered

Step 

1

Cook the cut up bacon- sauté it in 1 tablespoon of oil for about 3 minutes, until it starts to lightly brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.lardons in 4 cups water for 10 minutes 

Step 2

Dry the beef with a few paper towels for better browning. In batches, sear the beef on all sides in the Dutch oven. Set aside with the bacon.

Step 3

Back in the pot, add the sliced carrots and onions; sauté in fat until browned, about 3 minutes. If there's any excess fat, drain it now.

Step 4

Add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Toss. Sprinkle with flour and toss once more. Place in the center of the oven for 4 minutes.

Step 5

Remove pot from oven; toss beef and place back in the oven for 4 more minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the heat to 325°F.

Step 6

To the pot, add the stock. The liquid should barely cover the meat and vegetables. Add the tomato paste, garlic and thyme. Bring to a light simmer on the stove, then cover and simmer in the lower part of the oven for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is easily pierced.

Step 7

In the last hour of cooking, bring 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons oil to a medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the pearl onions and toss around in the fat until they've browned, 10 minutes. Then stir in 1/2 cup beef stock, a small pinch of salt and pepper and the herb bouquet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the onions for about 40 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated, and the onions are tender.

Step 8

Remove the onions and set aside. Discard the herb bouquet and wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining butter and oil and bring to a medium heat.

Step 9

Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan to coat with the butter.

Step 

10

Place a colander over a large pot. Drain the beef stew through the colander and into the pot. Place the pot with the sauce over a medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, skimming any fat on top.--- My liquid was pretty thick so I didn't do this- I cooked it in the oven with the lid off for a few minutes to reduce the liquid--Pour the beef and vegetables back into the Dutch oven. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot. Pour the sauce over the beef mix and simmer an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 

11 

Make mashed potatoes while your stew is cooking and put the beef stew over the mashed potatoes on individual plates.

So Good!!

Italian Wedding Soup

Tomorrow is the wedding of my favorite Bachelor--Sean.  I think that Chris is pretty happy that he is finally getting married because he has been my TV crush for over a year.  I decided to have a wedding themed dinner that we can eat while watching the wedding.  I contemplated looking up the menu plan for their actual wedding, but I never got around to it.  Chris suggested that I make Italian Wedding soup and I agreed.  We will also be eating wedding cake (white cupcakes with white frosting, actually.)

When I pulled out my Italian Wedding Soup Recipe, I noticed that it was falling apart and realized that I needed to put it online.  My mom gave me this recipe several years ago over the phone.  She often dumbs down recipes for me, so I am not sure how complex this recipe is, but it is delicious!

Meatballs:

1 lb ground pork
3/4 c Italian Bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 c Parm cheese

Mix ingredients together and make small meatballs.  Freeze on cookie sheet

Next, boil 8 oz aciniepe pasta until cooked- about 10-12 minutes.  Set aside.

Take out your pressure cooker and add

1 T olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1 1/2 coarsely chopped carrots

Cook 3-4 minutes (lid off)

Next, add 2 quarts chicken broth.  Bring to boil.

Add frozen meatballs

Put lid on pressure cooker.  Cook 10 minutes.  Let broth depressurize. Take off lid.

Add 9-10 oz baby spinach.  Add cooked pasta.  Add Parmesan cheese to taste.