Sticky Toffee Pudding

Let me share a little story with you, a small glimpse of my last few weeks.  This week was not the best week for me emotionally yet it turned out to be wonderful.  I spent the week waiting for a call from the doctor to let me know if I once again had cancer, this time in my Parotid Gland.  I knew that God would take care of it for me however the thought of having a surgery if it was cancer, and the possibility of chemo and radiation frightened me.  I'm a healthy eater with the exception of desserts here and there so I was devastated that my hard work at healthy wasn't working for my body.  So of course when the doctor called to let me know it wasn't cancer, I had reason to celebrate, to celebrate health, to celebrate healthy eating and to love life for each precious moment.

A few weeks ago, I took my sister to an amazing little tea house in Los Angeles. They had some delicious items.  My sister had the regular fare but I did not.  One thing this British Tea House served was their own English Sticky Toffee Pudding. First thing I planned on doing when I got home from the Tea House was to make my own version.  But with the medical issue that was looming, the joy of baking this delightful dish was kind of sucked right out of me. But now, with my great news, I was baking away like normal and boy was hubby and I happy I did.  This was a celebratory dish, super cake-like and moist with the sweetest toffee to balance it out. And even though one of these little cakes is enough for two, we had our own. Yes...we did! Try this recipe and you're sure to enjoy a little piece of Heaven (English Heaven) here on Earth!

Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe~

1 1/2 Cups chopped Dates
1 3/4 Cups boiling water
1 tsp baking soda

Put in bowl and let soak for an hour or two.

1/4 Cup or cube vegan butter
1 Cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla bean paste

Cream in mixer until butter and sugar are fully incorporated and are fluffy.

2 vegan eggs

Add to creamed mixture and mix until incorporated.

2 Cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cornstarch

Add to creamed mixture slowly until mixed.  Add date mixture and mix for another minute.
Pour into greased 9x9 baking dish or 6 medium sized greased  8oz ramekins ( what I used) or 10 -12 4 oz ramekins for a large group. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (or 20 minutes for the 4 oz ramekins).

Make toffee sauce while cooking.

Toffee Sauce recipe~

 

4 Tbs Vegan Butter

2/3 C Brown Sugar

2/3 C Canned Coconut Milk, using the cream on top ( It's best to use a high quality with thick cream on top)

1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch Salt

In a microwave safe bowl, melt vegan butter. Add brown sugar, coconut milk cream and stir. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for another 1- 1 1/2 minutes depending on your microwave.  Make sure to let the mixture cool slightly, at least two minutes,  before adding the vanilla and pinch salt, and stir. Let sit on the counter for about 5 minutes. Once it starts to cool, it will thicken.

 

Try my Lavender Toffee sauce too. Recipe here Lavender Toffee Sauce

 

 

Once Cakes are finished baking, remove and poke holes in the top and a few in the sides.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons toffee sauce, slowly covering the whole top.  Put into Broiler and broil until bubbly, just a few minutes or less.

 

 Invert onto a plate or leave in Ramekin.

 

 

Serve with a bit more Toffee sauce drizzled over it and a nice dollop of Whipped Cream.

Try my recipe here for~ Whipped Cream

 

 

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

 

 

I had company on the way. My friends were bringing all their Brussels Griffon Puppies for a play date with my puppies. But before playtime, I wanted to treat my friends to lunch and  I was so excited to make a full vegan meal for my friends to try. I decided that my Pasta with Lemon Asparagus Sauce Pasta recipe here would be the ticket to tempt the tummy.  I love this pasta and knew they would too (and was I right!)  But for dessert, what would I make?  The day prior I had decided to make Lavender Toffee Sauce to accompany my nice tart green apples. I loved it so much that I knew that whatever dessert I made, it would be enrobbed in the sauce.  So I opened the fridge, found a stalk of rhubarb and decided these two would be perfect together, a marraige made in heaven!   Now that the lunch is over and dessert is gone and my puppies are resting after a wonderful playdate with incredibly precious friends,  I'm left dreaming of how perfect this day was, the company was and the meal was and I can't wait until next week to make it again....

 

I'm hooked!

 





 

 

 

 

Upside Down Cake Recipe~

1 C cake flour

7/8 C granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

3 vegan eggs ( I use Ener-G, mixed ahead of time for a few minutes)

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 1/2 Tbsp water

1 stalk Rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs vegan butter

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8  ( 4 oz) Ramekins  or one 8-9 inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In a hot pan over the stove, melt vegan butter and add rhubarb.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes on med-high heat. Add 1 Tbs sugar and stir for about another minute until rhubarb is just starting to get soft.  Remove from heat immediately and spoon into the bottom of Ramekins. You want the rhubarb laying flat and evenly on the bottom.  Set aside.

 

In a mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add Vegan eggs, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth.  Do not over mix. Spoon over rhubarb and bake about 15 minutes until slightly golden brown (check with a toothpick to test it's cooked on the inside.) While cooling, make Toffee Sauce. 

 

Toffee Sauce Recipe

4 Tbs Vegan Butter

2/3 C Brown Sugar

2/3 C Canned Coconut Milk, using the cream on top ( It's best to use a high quality with thick cream on top)

1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch Salt

 

In a microwave safe bowl, melt vegan butter. Add brown sugar, coconut milk cream and stir. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for another 1- 1 1/2 minutes depending on your microwave. Add the vanilla and pinch salt, and stir. Let sit on the counter for about 5 minutes. Once it starts to cool, it will thicken.

 

Try this Caramel Lavender Toffee Sauce also...Lavender Toffee Sauce.

 

Drizzle 1/2 tsp of Toffee Sauce over each of the warm cakes and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Use a knife to loosen each cake from the Ramekin and invert onto plates.  Drizzle with remaining Toffee Sauce and serve.

Oh boy.  The moment we've all been waiting for.  Delicious, Creamy, smooth and silky. Have a nice tart bite of rhubarb with the sweetness of cake enrobed in a bath of silky caramel toffee. (Sounds heavenly!)  Enjoy with friends, family or enjoy all by yourself.  These perfect little bites are sheer indulgent.

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Lavender Toffee Sauce

 

Oh Boy...Toffee Sauce.  While some call it Toffee Sauce, others call it caramel sauce but I call it Heaven on Earth. Yes, there's nothing better to dip a nice tart apple into, drizzle over your favorite ice cream or eat right off the spoon. This recipe is for two servings but let's be honest, it's really for one. I had good intentions on sharing but once it was made and my family still hadn't made it home, I noticed slowly but surely, it dwindled down until every bit was gone. I don't know why but it just happened this way.  This dairy free option for heavenly goodness is going to make you go back for seconds and then, you'll need to make a second batch for your family and friends to try. Or just make a bunch of this from the get go. You can double the recipe easily. Make this yummy treat right in your microwave in minutes.

Look at those beautiful bits of vanilla bean seeds peeking through this caramel-y goodness. Be still my heart!

 

Lavender Toffee Sauce Recipe

 

(recipe for 2-4, but can be doubled for 4-8)

 

2 Tbs Vegan Butter

1/3 C Brown Sugar

1/3 C Canned Coconut Milk, using the cream on top ( It's best to use a high quality with thick cream on top)

1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch Salt

Pinch dried and finely pulverized lavender ( I use a coffee grinder for mine)

 

In a microwave safe bowl, melt vegan butter.  Add brown sugar, coconut milk cream and stir.  Microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir. Microwave for another  1- 1 1/2 minutes depending on your microwave.  Add the vanilla, pinch salt, lavender and stir.  Let sit on the counter for about 5 minutes.  Once it starts to cool, it will thicken.  Add apples, cake, cupcakes...pretty much anything you want to coat in a delicious toffee caramel or just add a spoon. You'll thank me later. 

 

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Chocolate covered caramel candies

Valentine's Day was upon us.  I was craving chocolate covered caramels like nobodies business.  A few months back, my friend had bought her and I a chocolate and caramel making class gift certificate.  We watched and learned the secrets to making delicious candies.  And then it hit me...
Could I make this vegan?  I wasn't sure but since the urge to eat caramel was taking over my mind and soul, I figured I had better get cracking at it and see.  To my delight, and the other sweet valentine's in my family, it did!

Chocolate covered caramels
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned coconut milk (the kind with a thick layer of cream on top)
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 cups vegan chocolate
sea salt or lavender sugar or both

Heat pan really hot over stove. Add 1/8 c sugar and as it starts to bubble and brown, stir.  Once melted, add another 1/8 cup sugar and repeat process until all sugar is liquefied.  Add corn syrup and stir again until bubbly.  You are looking for a nice caramel color.  Add coconut milk slowly and stir until all is incorporated.  Be careful of spitting, hot sugar.
After all cream has been added, cook and stir once in awhile until candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees or almost hard ball stage, then remove from heat.
Pour into a tin foil lined and greased 8x8 or 9x13 pan. Let cool.
In a double boiler, melt chocolate.  Cut caramels into squares and dip.   Put dipped caramels onto tin foil, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt or lavender sugar and refrigerate.  When you are ready to serve, serve at room temperature.