STICKY TOFFEE APPLE PUDDING

It’s Fall and what do you do on a gorgeous Fall day in New England?  Go apple picking, of course!  We were in New Hampshire and stumbled onto this remote, little apple orchard located down a very long, dirt road, nestled  among tall, lumbering pine trees.  No fancy signs with balloons announcing their location.  No giant painted pumpkins, mind-numbing corn mazes or antique tractor displays … just apple trees.  Apprehensively, we approached the little shed with the owner standing outside.  “C’mon in”, he said “wanna pick some apples?”  How could we not.

He explained the different varieties of apple trees and their location in the orchard, handed us a couple of paper bags and off we went.  Picking didn’t take long, as the trees were heavy with fruit … Empire, Macouns, Macintosh, Golden Delicious and Cortland … all red, ripe and ready.  After picking … and eating as many as we could … we managed to find our way back to the shed, where the owner weighed our bounty and offered us a slice of pie.  Pie?  Yes, every day his wife bakes an apple pie for anyone who, after a day of picking, would like to sit, relax and enjoy a slice of homemade apple pie.  Needless to say, it was one of the best apple pies we’ve ever had.

Now, with more apples than we could possibly eat, it was time to get baking!  So what to  make?  I certainly couldn’t compete with the apple pie we had at the orchard.  I’ve made many strudels, cobblers and apple cakes.  I wanted to make something different.  How about an old fashioned steamed pudding?

My inspiration was the classic British dessert, Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Putting on my creative baker hat once again, I came up with this Apple version.  If you are a lover of classic steamed puddings, which, unlike cakes, are dense, moist and homey, then you must give this a try.  Yes, it is a bit time consuming, but its the perfect thing to make on a chilly, Autumn afternoon.

This will feed anywhere from 6 hungry people to 12 easily.  Serve it warm with a generous slug of the thick, sweet toffee topping.  To heck with the calories … you burned them all off apple picking anyway!

STICKY TOFFEE APPLE PUDDING
Bake 350° for 60 to 70 minutes.  Serves 6 to 10, depending upon portion size.

Toffee Sauce
1 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Pudding/Cake/Batter
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
4-5 large apples, peeled, cored and cubed (approximately 6 cups)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 stick butter, melted
4 eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Into a high-sided saucepan, place the entire can of sweetened condensed milk.  Completely cover the can with water and bring to a boil.  Then cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Let this simmer, covered, for at least two hours, while you make and bake the pudding.  Check it every now and then to ensure the can is completely covered with simmering water.  Refill water as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter six to eight ramekins.  In a large baking or roasting pan, lay a kitchen towel.  The ramekins are going to bake in a water bath and the towel keeps the dishes from bumping into each other.

In a large frypan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the cubed apples.  Sprinkle on the dark brown sugar, the cinnamon, nutmeg and the cornstarch.  Mix gently.  Cover and let it cook down for about 15 minutes or until the apples are softened and a sauce forms.  If needed, add a bit of water.  Stir gently.

While the apples are gently cooking, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar.  Add the melted butter and vanilla.  Beat in the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.  Mix well, but don’t overbeat.

Spoon the apple filling into the pudding batter.  With a wooden spoon, gently mix all together.  Then spoon the batter into the buttered ramekins.  Not too high.  They will rise a bit.  Sprinkle with toasted nuts, if you’d like.

Place the ramekins on the towel-lined baking pan.  Then fill the baking pan with hot water until the water comes halfway up the sides of the dishes.

Cover the entire baking pan tightly with foil and bake at 350°.  Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (depending upon the size of the ramekins).  No peeking.  Puddings take a bit longer to bake than cakes.

When done, remove the baking pan from the oven and let the puddings rest for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, take the can which has been bubbling away on the stove top, and holding it with a towel, carefully open it.  It will be very hot.  With a spoon, mix the thick, sweet sauce to smooth it out.  Then spoon the toffee sauce into a serving bowl or pitcher.

To serve, either pop the pudding out of the ramekin and plate it or serve it right in the ramekin … and spoon a generous dollop of toffee sauce on top.  For a little extra treat, you might want to have ice cream or whipped cream on hand.  This is an absolutely rib-sticking, old fashioned dessert, hearty, sweet and full of chunky apples with a creamy toffee sauce … perfect for a cool Fall evening.  i hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we did!!

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Whoopie Pies?

Yes, I know … they have nothing to do with Great Britain.  Whoopie Pies are uniquely American, actually a New England creation.  And, being from New England, I just had a craving for a Whoopie Pie (not sure why).  What do you do when you want something and you just know that whatever you buy at the grocery store is not going to be as good as the ones you grew up with? Well, you get out the ingredients and make it yourself!  Couldn’t be easier.

This recipe is ‘borrowed’ from Martha Stewart.  Thank you, Martha.  It is rich, chocolaty, cakey and delicious.  I did not make a traditional marshmallow-fluff-type filling, but rather crunchy peanut butter.  Just felt the need to do something different.  Give this a try and let me know what you think.

WHOOPIE PIES with PEANUT BUTTER FILLING
Preheat the oven to 375°.
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

4 tblsps. softened butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

I always gather all the ingredients and tools before cooking anything (with a cuppa, of course).  It just ensures that I have everything I need before starting.  Preheat the oven to 375° and grease two large baking sheets (or mold sheets).


In a mixing bowl beat together butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  While this is beating, in another bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk well to mix and lighten.


To the butter and sugar mixture, add the egg, beat until light and fluffy.  Add half the flour mixture to this, blending well.  Then add the milk and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add the remaining flour.  Beat together, scraping down the sides of the bowl.


Using a rounded spoon or, as I like to use, an ice cream scoop, drop 24 equal rounds of dough onto a greased baking sheet.  If you have a whoopie pie mold, that works beautifully.


Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for 12 to 14 minutes (turning the pans halfway through the cooking time).  Do not overbake or they will be dry.  Less is more!

When baked, let cookies cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a baking rack.  While cooling, make the Peanut Butter Filling (or whatever filling you might like).

 

 

 


PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

3/4 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 stick softened butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
pinch salt (to taste)

Using an electric mixer beat the butter and peanut butter together til smooth.  Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

 

Assemble the cookies by spreading (or piping) one tablespoon filling on the bottom of one cookie, then press the bottom of the same size cookie to it.  You can certainly be fancy and pipe the filling onto the cookie bottoms (although I was too anxious to pipe this time, I’ve piped the filling ever since.  It’s much neater and more professional looking).

Presto, you’ve made Whoopie Pies! Now all you need is a big glass of milk ….. or a big pot of tea!!

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References:  Martha Stewart