Date Pudding

 

This year for Christmas dinner

dessert, I made this date pudding.

A light and tasty pudding with

dates soaked in rum, served with a

brown sugar toffee sauce.

This pudding can be made ahead and

frozen to be used later and warmed up

in the microwave. 

I adapted the recipe from 

myislandbistrokitchen.com

Ingredients for Pudding

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp ground *nutmeg

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp salt

About 1 1/3 cups pitted dates, 

coarsely chopped

¼ cup dark rum

1 cup water

1 1/8 tsp baking soda.

¼ cup butter, softened at room temperature

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs at room temperature

Grated rind of an orange 

1½ tbsp pure maple syrup

1½ tsp vanilla

(* Ginger may be used in the place of nutmeg.

 I'm allergic to ginger.)

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, 

baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon,

 cloves and salt. Set aside. 

In a saucepan, combine the dates 

with the 1/4 cup of rum.

Let stand 20 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add the cup of water and bring the dates,

rum and water to a boil,

over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to simmer and

 boil gently, uncovered for 

approx. 5 minutes, 

stirring once or twice.

Remove from heat and

add the baking soda and let

stand uncovered for 20 minutes, 

stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Place oven rack in bottom third of oven.

Grease a 9 inch square pan, a bundt pan,

 or 10 individual ramekins 

While date mixture is cooling, 

Beat butter and the sugars together 

with an electric mixer.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, 

beating well after each addition.

Beat in orange rind, maple syrup

 and vanilla.

Stir in the flour mixture.

Add in the dates.

Grease ten (10) 1/2 cup ramekins and 

place on a baking sheet.

Fill each dish no more than 2/3 full.

Smooth over tops.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a 

toothpick inserted in the centre 

 comes out clean.

I didn't have 10 ramekins,

I filled 8.

Run tip off a knife around each pudding 

to loosen and turn out on to 

individual serving plates.

Serve warm with sauce and if desired,

a dollop of whipping cream or 

a scoop of vanilla or maple ice cream. 

Sometimes I serve the pudding,

 topped with table cream

 or ice cream instead 

of the toffee sauce.

TheToffee Sauce

Ingredients for Toffee Sauce:

¾ cup butter
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
¾ cup whipping cream (35% M.F.)
2 tbsp rum
2 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Add the cream and reduce heat to simmer.

Cook slowly, stirring occasionally,

 until sauce is slightly thick, 

about 6-8 minutes.

 Remove from heat and stir in the rum and vanilla.

Serve warm over the date pudding. 

(Sauce will thicken as it starts to cool slightly).

**********

Actually I found this Toffee Sauce to be too much,

too big,  but delicious. 

Next time, I'll cut the ingredients in 1/2.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for your visit 

🎅🎅🎅

Classic Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies originated in Scotland.

Made with simple and basic ingredients,

 flour, sugar, butter with vanilla 

or almond flavouring.

Whether you bake them plain or 

paired up with jam, they'll be delicious. 

 Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

1 tsp pure vanilla  or almond extract

(Optional)Jam for filling.

In a bowl whisk the flour with the salt, set aside.

With an electric beater or hand beater, beat the butter
until smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the icing sugar and mix until combined.
Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gently stir in the flour mixture 

just until incorporated.

Flatten the dough into a disk shape, 

wrap in plastic wrap, and 

chill the dough for at least an hour.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove dough from fridge and let stand at

 room temperature approx. 5-10 minutes

 or until it is soft enough to roll out.

On a lightly floured surface, 

roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

If you are making the jam filled cookie, roll out

approx. 1/8 inch thick. 

Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter. 

(Divide the cut out cookies into 2

 and cut half of the top ones 

with a small cookie cutter.

Knead the leftover scraps of dough

 into a ball and roll out again.

If you are using jam filled cookies,

Spread some jam on each of the 

cookie bottoms. 

Set a cutout cookie on top of each,

 pressing the two together 

so they make a sandwich.

( Optional) Sprinkle the top with 

icing sugar before placing

 on the bottoms, if desired.

Place the unbaked cookies on

 a baking sheet in the refrigerator

 for about 15 minutes.

This will firm up the dough so the

 cookies will maintain their shape when baking.

Preheat oven to 350deg. F

Bake for about 10-15 minutes or 

until cookie edges are lightly browned.

Let cool completely.

Can be stored in an air-tight container for a few week.

Shortbread cookies freeze well also.

Two batches of cookies in this photo.

 

Thanks for your visit xo

Cherry and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

r

Great tasting,

green and red cherries

combined with chocolate.

A colourful and delicious Christmas dessert.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup each red and green cherries 

 (About 15 of each.) Cut in 1/2

(I rinsed with cool water and

pat dry before cutting cherries)

Some ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 

baking soda and salt.  

Spoon in the chocolate chips and cherries

Set aside.

In another bowl, with mixer,  gradually 

beat the butter,  both sugars until 

mixture is light. (approx 2 mins)

Beat in the egg, then vanilla.

Mix the flour mixture and the butter mixture together

with a wooden spoon.

With your hands, knead the dough 

until it comes together and forms a ball.

Cut the dough in 3 portions.

Place each on a large piece of

 plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Shape into a log about 12 in. long.

Refrigerate 

until firm at lease 4 hrs. 

or up to 5 days, 

or freeze for up to 1 month.

When ready to bake,

 preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

Remove from fridge, 

let the rolled dough stand at 

room temperature for

 approx. 5- 10 minutes.

 Using a serrated knife, 

slice cold dough in 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick rounds. 

Too much pink in my photo. I don't know why, I don't us filters.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet

 or a parchment lined cookie sheet. 

Bake 8to 10 mins, until edges are starting to brown.

(In my oven, I leave them 10 mins.)

Let cool on baking sheet, for 10 minutes 

before removing to cooling rack. 

Enjoy.

May be frozen and enjoyed at a later date.

Great for gifts!

Thanks for your visit xo

🎅🎅🎅

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

 A decadent little bite-size shortbread cookie 

with white chocolate chips and cherries.

Ingredients:

makes 2 to 3 doz. cookies

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

3/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg white

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup maraschino cherries cut in 1/2.

(Rinse the cherries in cool water

 and pat dry before cutting.

Some ingredients

Instructions:

In a bowl mix flour and cocoa. 

Spoon in the white chocolate chips 

and cherries, Set aside

In another bowl, with an electric beater,

 cream the butter, icing sugar and salt.  

Add the egg white and vanilla and

 mix just until blended.

With a wooden spoon, 

add the flour mixture

 with the butter mixture.

Stir together with a spoon,

On a floured surface,

With your hands, knead the dough 

until it comes together and forms a ball.

Divide the dough in two portions and

roll into 2 logs, approx. 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Refrigerate for 2 hrs. making sure the rolls are very hard...

or you could freeze and bake at a later date.

When ready to bake, 

remove the rolled dough from 

the fridge and let stand at room 

temperature for 5-10 minutes

before slicing.

Preheat oven to 350 deg.


Slice dough 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick and

 place on two cookie sheets

 lined with parchment paper.

Bake approx. 12 mins or 

until cookie edges are firm.

Do not remove from baking sheet 

for a least 10 minutes before

 placing on a cooling rack to completely cool. 

May be frozen and enjoyed at a later date.

Great for gift giving.

Thanks for your visit xo

Merry Christmas

🎅🎅🎅