AUTHOR
Nothing is more comforting in the dead of winter than warm sticky toffee pudding. Because there is so much caramel in this version of the dessert, it should only be eaten when you have a severe sugar need. The dish was first developed for a beer culinary contest. I used my brother’s homemade oatmeal stout at the time, but Guinness also tastes great.
Despite possible variations in cooking times, the cake should be extremely moist. The caramel can be given a kick by adding Guinness and crème de cassis, but I like the dish better without them. Bourbon or whiskeys are also good substitutes.
NOTES FOR A TEST KITCHEN
WHO: Alyssalees is a connoisseur of homemade desserts who resides in Brooklyn, New York.
WHAT: A tasty new stout-drinking method.
HOW: Prepare the traditional English sticky toffee pudding’s base, then stir in espresso and Guinness. It is baked in tiny ramekins, and the top is covered in an alcoholic caramel sauce. Serve it with additional warm caramel sauce and ginger whipped cream to shine the lily. Enter the portals of dessert nirvana with a mouthful.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is the kind of dessert we want to offer to round off a substantial meal. You might be limited to just a few bits since it is so rich, but it will make you want to unwind after dinner with your friends while you enjoy a post-dinner glow.
Ingredients
For the mash:
- 8 ounces of dates, cut finely
- 1 pint of Guinness
- 12 cup softened butter
- Brown sugar, 1 cup
- 5 cups of flour
- Baking powder, two teaspoons
- 14 teaspoon of salt
- 4 gently beaten eggs
- A tablespoon or two of espresso powder
- A single vanilla bean
- One tablespoon of baking soda
- Sweet sauce (recipe below)
- Creamy ginger (recipe below)
For the cream with ginger and caramel:
- 4 mugs of cream
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 mug of butter
- Guinness, two teaspoons (optional)
- 2 teaspoons whisky or crème de cassis (optional)
- Whipped cream, 1 cup
- One 2-inch piece of sliced ginger
- Add sugar to taste, or two teaspoons.
Directions
For the mash:
- Achieve a 350°F oven temperature. Thoroughly butter 12 to 16 small ramekins (muffin tins can be substituted).
- The dates should be placed in a shallow bowl and left to rest. Bring Guinness to a boil in a small pot, and then turn off the heat. Over the dates, pour the Guinness. 30 minutes should be allowed for cooling.
- Butter should be creamed for one to two minutes at medium speed in a stand mixer. Beat for a further one to two minutes after adding brown sugar, until frothy.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix one-third of the beaten eggs with the butter mixture after adding 1/3 of the flour. Continue alternating until all of the egg and flour mixture has been added.
- The date/Guinness mixture should now contain espresso, vanilla, and baking soda. Add the mixture to the batter and stir to blend.
- Fill ramekins halfway with batter. In a sizable baking dish with high sides, arrange the ramekins. Boiling water should reach the ramekins’ sides halfway up the dish.
- Be aware that cooking times vary and may take up to 20 minutes or longer. Cook for 15 minutes. The interior should be quite moist while the top should be firm. When a knife is inserted in the middle of a pudding, moist crumbs should emerge.
- Remove the ramekins and make numerous tiny holes in the tops with a fork or toothpick. Top the puddings with generous spoonfuls of the caramel sauce (recipe is below). It might need to be pushed into the pudding in order for it to seep into the cracks. Allow the puddings to gradually cool.
- When the pudding is ready to be served, invert each ramekin onto a plate by running a knife around the edge of each one. More warm caramel (see recipe below) should be poured on top. With a dollop of ginger cream, serve (see recipe below).
For the cream with ginger and caramel:
- In a sauce pan, combine the cream, sugar, and butter to make the caramel and ginger cream. Stirring occasionally, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes over low heat until reduced and thickened into a rich, viscous sauce.
- Stir in Guinness and crème de cassis to the caramel if using the optional booze. Feel free to change the amounts to your liking. After one more minute, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside. Before serving it in the skillet, reheat the sauce.
- Heat the cream and ginger in a saucepan until bubbles form to prepare the ginger cream. After removing from the heat, let the food cool to room temperature. Put in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.
