Sticky Toffee Pudding (Or: Ground Control to Professor Snape)

Yesterday, while I happily cracked, scooped, whipped, drizzled and licked baked this Sticky Toffee Pudding, my only thoughts were about how much I love British desserts, the UK, and Brits, in general. If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, this comes as no surprise, and frankly, you probably read most of it with a British accent because you know that is the voice I use when I’m typing. Cheerio. Balderdash. Knackered. It was a splendid afternoon of baking.

And then I woke up to the news of Alan Rickman passing. A running/food blog isn’t the place to wax poetic about one of our generation’s iconic actors, but to put it in American, I was totally bummed. And the news of his death, followed so closely on the heels of another legend’s, David Bowie, passing, felt like a true loss. Both men were, well, special.

So many times in this crazy-ass life we are given a choice to fit it, conform, go along OR…not. Alan Rickman and David Bowie chose NOT. Somewhere, early on, they figured out they were never going to be the “normal” rock star or the “leading man” actor. Instead, they both seemed to “get” exactly who they were, what their strengths and weaknesses were, and then just DID it. DID life. DID themselves. They were never imitations of anyone else, and both seemed to be perfectly okay with that.

And so we loved them for it.

Neither were conventionally handsome, yet we swooned. Neither chose safe career paths, yet we clamored after their work. Neither played it safe, yet we were in awe of their confidence.

I think we loved them for what they knew they were not, but still found a way to leave a Grand Canyon-size mark on this world. We should all be so lucky.

So, this morning, I snarfed a piece of this Sticky Toffee Pudding for breakfast while I thought about David Bowie and Alan Rickman, a British homage of sorts to two great Brits. Because, as you’ve well figured out, food is my entry point to talk about what I’m thinking and doing. And this morning, while I ate this cake, I thought about how we’re all just out here, trying to DO life the best we can, taking cues from those who seemed to have figured it out. Some of us run, some of us work at a desk, some of us cook and write.

And some act and sing circles around everyone else, because they chose to be themselves.

Cheers, Alan Rickman and David Bowie. I hope they have Sticky Toffee Pudding in Heaven.

 

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Sauce

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

For the cake:

1 1/4 cups dates (Martha called for Medjool, but I just use plain ol’ and they worked just fine) chopped coarsely

1 cup scalding hot, strong coffee

1 teaspoon baking soda

6 ounces of unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for baking dish

3/4 dark brown sugar, lightly packed

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt (like Kosher)

 

For the sauce:

4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 cup dark brown sugar lightly packed

3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for drizzling (or drowning, as the case may be. I used a whole pint, just saying.)

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a medium casserole dish (Martha said 2 1/2 quarts, but none of mine were marked. I used one that was an 8 1/2 x 11 x 3 oval and it worked fine, but required an additional 10 minutes in the oven.)

Put chopped dates into hot coffee and let soak for 15 minutes. Stir in baking soda.

Mix butter and sugar on medium high until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Reduce speed to medium and beat in eggs one at a time, until incorporated.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add half to butter mixture on low. When combined, add date mixture and remaining dry mixture until just combined.

Pour batter into buttered dish and bake. Martha said to bake for 25 minutes, but mine needed 35 minutes. Bake until center of the cake springs back when gently pressed with your finger.

Sauce: While the cake is baking, combine butter, brown sugar and cream into a heavy saucepan. Heat until boiling and then reduce heat to medium so it won’t boil over. Cook for four minutes, until sauces darkens and thickens.

After removing cake from the oven, pierce holes to the bottom of the cake with a skewer (about an inch apart).

Pour half of the sauce over the cake and let it soak in for about 20 minutes. Serve the cake warm with the remaining sauce and heavy cream.

 

 

 

 

Tagged as: Alan Rickman, British desserts, David Bowie, Sticky Toffee Pudding