Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Puddings For Two Recipes

WARM PUMPKIN STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING WITH VANILLA CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the middle. Butter a 12-cup muffin pan, if not nonstick.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, allspice and cloves in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter with the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Divide the batter into the muffin pan. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack.
• Slice the muffins horizontally into three pieces. Place a tablespoon of the Cranberry Caramel Sauce between each layer, finishing with a large spoon of the Vanilla Cream and a sprinkle of dried cranberries.
• In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help the sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook the caramel without stirring, gently swirling the pan until deep golden, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the cream and butter (the mixture will vigorously steam and the caramel will harden). Return to the heat and simmer, stirring, until the caramel is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the dried cranberries.
• Beat the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until firm peaks forms.

STICKY TOFFEE PUMPKIN PUDDING

Steps:

• For Cake:Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated.
• Reduce speed to low, and add half the flour mixture, beating until combined. Add pumpkin, beat, and then add remaining flour mixture, and beat until just combined. (Do not over-mix.) Stir in vanilla and brandy. Transfer batter to dish, and bake until cake is puffed and springs back in center when gently pressed with a finger, and a toothpick comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. The texture will be much moister than a regular cake, but the toothpick should still come out clean. (Think more like a cheesecake).
• For Sauce: Meanwhile, combine butter, sugar, brandy and cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium (so sauce does not boil over) and boil, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and darkens slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Remove cake from oven and pierce holes at 1-inch intervals to bottom of cake with a wooden skewer. Pour HALF of hot sauce over cake and let soak 20 minutes. Serve warm with remaining sauce.
• If You're Planning to Serve the Cake Later: Cake soaked in sauce and remaining toffee sauce can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day. Before serving, warm cake in a 300 degrees oven 10 minutes, and warm the sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat.

INDIVIDUAL STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKES FOR TWO OR FOUR

Steps:

• For the pudding cakes:
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour four 4-ounce ramekins and line bottom of each with round of parchment paper cut to fit.
• Set prepared ramekins in deep-side baking or roasting pan lined with clean dish towel.
• Bring kettle or large saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
• Combine half of dates with water and baking soda in glass measuring cup (dates should be submerged beneath water) and soak for 5 minutes.
• Drain dates, reserving liquid, and transfer to medium bowl.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in another medium bowl.
• Process remaining dates and brown sugar in food processor until just blended, about five 1-second pulses.
• Add reserved soaking liquid, eggs, and vanilla and process until smooth, about 5 seconds.
• With food processor running, pour melted butter through feed tube in steady stream.
• Transfer this mixture to bowl with softened dates.
• Gently stir dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined and date pieces are evenly dispersed.
• Distribute batter evenly among prepared ramekins.
• Fill roasting pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of ramekins, making sure not to splash water into ramekins.
• Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, crimping edges to seal.
• Bake pudding cakes until puffed and small holes appear on surface, about 40 minutes.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dates in a bowl and cover with the 1 cup boiling water to soften, at least 5 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 and grease a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Combine the 3 tablespoons butter, baking soda, a pinch of salt, Demerara sugar, 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla extract in a food processor and pulse until just combined. Add the dates and 1/2 cup of the water to the mixture; pulse until nearly smooth (specks of dates should remain visible).
• Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until just firm to the touch. (When the pudding has finished baking, remove from the oven and heat the broiler. Put the rack about 4 inches from the heat source.)
• Meanwhile, make the topping. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then slowly add 1 cup cream and 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt, whisking continuously until the mixture bubbles gently and comes together to form a smooth mixture; turn off heat.
• In another small saucepan over medium heat, make the extra sauce. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, then slowly add 1 ¼ cups cream and 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Repeat the process above.
• Pour the topping (careful not to use the extra sauce) over the cooked pudding and place the whole thing in the broiler until it bubbles and looks sticky, 1 or 2 minutes (watch it closely). To serve, spoon into bowls and cover with the extra sauce. If you like, add a dollop of whipped cream.