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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.

Sugar Bear Fudge

I decided to try making some old fashioned fudge because my son-in-law has a soy allergy, and the easy no-fail fudge contain soy lecithin. I was delighted by the results from this recipe. I love the little addition of honey. It flavors the fudge and it prevents it from hardening.

2 Cups packed brown sugar
12 Oz can of evaporated milk
1/2 C butter
2 T honey
1/2 t Salt
2 C mini marshmallows
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Toast the nuts in the oven and allow to cool completely.  Line a loaf pan with foil and spread a thin layer of butter all over the foil.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, honey, and salt in a 5-6 qt pot. Stir constantly while heating on a medium low heat. When the butter is melted the heat can be turned up a little. Put in a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to a soft ball stage.(234-238 degrees). Remove from heat.  Add the toasted nuts and mini marshmallows. Mix until the marshmallows are melted and the nuts are well incorporated, then mix for about one more minute. Pour into the loaf pan. This fudge may take up to a day to set up, so don’t panic if it seems a little soft for the first day.

Zucchini Relish with a kick!

                                                                                                                                            

                             Vegetables
10 Cups chopped zucchini (I used one of my monster zucchinis and took out the seeds.)
3  Cups chopped onion
3 large red bell peppers, chopped
3 Jalapenos, seeded and chopped
5 Tablespoons kosher salt

Spice/ vinegar mix
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups vinegar
1 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:
Coarsely chop raw vegetables and pulse them through a food processer until they are about the right size for relish. Measure the vegetables at this point for the recipe. Put the vegies into a large plastic container and add the salt. Mix the salt in.  Cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture stand over night.

The next day... 
Before you start any other prep work, put 6 or 7 pint mason jars, 6 or 7 rings, and 6 or 7 lids into your dishwasher on the hottest setting and allow the dishwasher to run when you are working. Start a big pot of water to boil to process the relish.

Put the vegetables into a colander and rinse with fresh water. Press out most of the water. You will have to do this in several batches. Set the vegetables aside for a few moments.

Put all of the ingredients for the spice/vinegar mix in a pot and bring to a full boil.  Add all of the vegetables and bring to a boil again.  Boil for about 10-15 minutes. Ladle the hot relish into the hot jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of head space.  Wipe off the rims with a moist paper towel.  Cover the jars with lids and tighten the rings down.  Put the full jars into a big pot of water and make sure that all of the jars are covered with at least on inch of boiling water.  Put the lid on the pot and allow the jars to remain in the boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove the jars and put them on the counter.  You will hear several pops in the next few minutes as the jars seal. Any jar that has not sealed after about an hour should be put in the refrigerator and used up in a month or two.

This recipe will make about 6 pints or relish.  You can easily double or triple the recipe.  One monster zucchini will make about 6 pints of relish.  It has a great flavor and is crispy.  I am not going to tell anyone that it is a zucchini relish.  I am going to call it Garden Relish and let that fly. It honestly tastes a little better than regular cucumber pickle relish.  I just ate a cracker topped with cream cheese and relish. Delicious!