Time For Sticky Toffee Pudding

It was a sunny Sunday in late September. The dining room was full and noisy. We had just finished eating a roast dinner, and in the midst of the loud clamour of conversation, someone passed me another bowl of food. I looked at it with mild curiosity. I had no idea what it was. The plain white bowl held a generous portion of what appeared to be a mounded island of dark brown cake, surrounded by an ocean of sauce and cream. I took a tentative spoonful, and so began my love for this delicious toffee drenched treat of a comfort food.

It was also the first traditional pudding I learned how to make as a teenager living in Scotland. It was my introductory kitchen foray into the art of making English puddings, always served with single cream or hot pouring custard.

The word “pudding” itself originally referred to a cake in a pudding basin, tied in a cloth bag and steamed in a pot of boiling water. We do still steam our raisin-laden Christmas pudding (the fabled figgy pudding of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”) before pouring over a ladleful of lighted brandy, transforming it into a tiny mountain of blue flame. Many of the other traditional steamed pudding recipes are just as often baked in a dish. “Pudding” can also be a catch-all word referring to “dessert”. 

This recipe is the one I learned to make in Scotland, generously shared with anyone who wanted it by Mrs Doreen Gray, principal gardener extraordinaire. I've changed the margarine to butter and the sugar to muscovado or coconut, for even more toffee flavour.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

6 oz butter

6 oz dark muscovado sugar or coconut sugar

8 oz plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg, whisked

6 oz stoned, finely chopped and floured dates

1/2 pint boiling water

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Whisk flour and baking powder together.

2) Cream butter and sugar.

3) Beat egg into creamed mixture with some of the flour.

4) Continue beating for a minute or so before adding the remainder of the flour mixture.

5) Place dates in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.

6) Mix soda and vanilla into date mixture. Add dates to the batter and mix well.

7) Turn into a greased (or fully paper lined) 11x7-ish tin.

8) Bake for 40 minutes in a 350F/180C/gas mark 4 oven.

Topping:

2 1/2 oz dark muscovado or coconut sugar

1 1/2 oz butter

2 TBSP double cream 

Heat sugar, butter and cream in a heavy saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. You can pour the sauce over the hot pudding and place under a hot grill until it bubbles and then serve up the pudding with a second batch of extra sauce, and single pouring cream. Or you can simply pour the sauce over individual bowls of pudding with pouring cream to finish. Either works!

Pumpkin Cheesecake [raw]

This “pumpkin” cheesecake actually has no pumpkin at all, but you wouldn’t know it! Spot the secret ingredient. We enjoyed this deliciously spiced cheesecake for Dan’s birthday, during our October raw food detox. I use exactly the same spices in a non-raw version of this cake but I think I prefer this version over the traditional baked one.

Makes one 10” [25cm] cheesecake, 12-16 servings. Use a 6” tin and halve the recipe for a smaller cake.

Pastry layer

• 1 cup raw pecans, soaked in water and drained
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted 

Process until the mixture holds together. Press onto the base of a lined or nonstick 10” [25cm] round cake tin. I use one with a removable base.

Filling

• 6 cups desiccated unsweetened coconut, soaked in water for at least an hour, then drained
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup maple syrup 
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBS vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla bean
• 2 inch piece fresh ginger
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups raw carrots, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw cacao butter

Melt the last two ingredients in a glass jug sitting in a bowl of warm water. Blend coconut, water, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, spices, carrots, melted oil and cacao butter in a blender until thick and creamy. Pour into the pastry base and freeze 4-5 hours until firm. Remove from freezer an hour before serving. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the cheesecake before slicing and serving.

Raw October: week 4

 We’ve been experiencing an unusually balmy October, but the weather is gradually changing. After a few nippy days, I'm really missing hot drinks. During cold weather I can usually be found alternately clutching or losing my cup of tea or coffee, whether I’m working around the house or sitting down during our reading times. This is the first week on the detox that I’ve been craving warm food and drinks and it feels as if this directly relates to the weather! I was definitely running out of creative energy for making raw food by the end of the week, and it shows in our repetitive meals.

Friday

Breakfast: mixed berry cacao smoothies

Lunch: dates & walnuts with almonds and lime cashew bites

Tea: rainbow carrot and green cabbage coleslaw with sprouted mung beans and greens

Saturday

Breakfast: muesli with strawberries, blueberries, mango, apples, bananas, & Brazil nuts, coconut milk

Lunch: leftover coleslaw with sprouted wild rice and kale marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, & raw honey

Tea: raw taco salad with taco mixture, cashew cream, homemade raw salsa, & green olives

Sunday

Breakfast: muesli with apples, banana, mango, Brazil nuts, coconut milk

Lunch: leftover raw taco mixture in romaine leaves and red pepper, marinated kale, avocados

Tea: raw tabbouleh & marinated kale over green salad

Monday

Breakfast: mixed berry cacao smoothies 

Lunch: leftover raw tabbouleh with avocados

Tea: green salad with grated rainbow carrots and beets, red peppers, cucumber, cashew dressing, salsa, and avocados

Tuesday

Breakfast: purple smoothies

Lunch: carrot sticks, chocolate chia bites, green salad with guacamole

Tea: salad of mixed greens, red onions, kalamata olives, red peppers, lemon & olive oil dressing

Wednesday

Breakfast: mixed berry smoothies

Lunch: greens with grated beetroot and carrot, sprouted mung beans, sprouted wild rice, cashew dressing with mustard

Tea: purple cabbage and rainbow carrot coleslaw, avocados

Thursday

Breakfast: mixed berry smoothies with cacao

Lunch: green salad with purple cabbage and rainbow carrot coleslaw, sprouted mung beans

Tea: salad of greens with beetroot and red onion, cashew lime bites

Friday

Breakfast: mango, peach & carrot smoothies

Lunch: green salad with grated beetroot, sprouted mung beans, & cashew dressing with mustard

Tea: green salad with grated beetroot, sprouted wild rice, cherry tomatoes, & cashew dressing with mustard

Saturday

Breakfast: purple smoothies

Lunch: curried cabbage salad with cashews and sesame seeds

Tea: leftover curried cabbage salad, green salad, guacamolé, salsa

On Sunday we had muesli for breakfast but friends were round for lunch and I made a roast dinner: chicken, roast potatoes, gravy, veggies, and blackberry crumble with pouring custard. Dan and I both ate cooked food but also had green salad with our meal. 

Even though we’re no longer detoxing, we continue to eat raw breakfast [either muesli or smoothie] and often keep to a raw lunch as well. It’s much easier to do a full detox when you’re already used to eating a large proportion of raw meals!

Raw October: week 3

 Friday

Breakfast: cacao & mixed berry smoothie

Lunch: green salad with carrot, walnuts, green apples, oil & vinegar, sprouted wild rice

Tea: salad of spring greens, sprouted mung beans, pea shoots, sprouted wild rice, walnuts, dried cranberries, & cashew dressing

Saturday

Breakfast: muesli with Brazil nuts, bananas, and apples

Lunch: snacks (nuts, dried fruit)

Tea: raw taco filling in romaine lettuce leaves with cashew cream, chopped coriander, limes, and fresh homemade salsa

Sunday

Breakfast: muesli with bananas, apples, & mango

Lunch: snacks (nuts, dried mango), coconut lime bites

Tea: salad with greens, leftover raw taco filling, beetroot, carrot, peppers, olives, & cashew dressing

Monday

Breakfast: smoothies with oranges, mixed berries, & cacao

Lunch: salad with greens, sprouted wild rice, cashew dressing, & kalamata olives.

Tea: salad with greens, romaine lettuce, homemade salsa, cashew cream, fresh jalapeño, & walnuts

Tuesday

Breakfast: smoothies with mixed berries 

Lunch: greens with walnuts, sprouted wild rice, cranberries, cashew dressing, 

Tea: salad with greens, romaine lettuce, grated carrots & beets, avocados, sprouted mung beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, cashew dressing with mustard

Wednesday

Breakfast: mango, carrot, pineapple smoothies

Lunch: salad with greens, grated purple carrot, sliced cabbage, walnuts, dried cranberries, & cashew dressing with mustard 

Tea: green salad with raw tabbouleh

Thursday

Breakfast: purple smoothies

Lunch: salad with greens and romaine, grated rainbow carrots, sprouted mung beans, cashew dressing, garden tomatoes, & red onions

Tea: salad with greens, grated rainbow carrots, sprouted wild rice, cherry tomatoes, & cashew dressing

Snacks: dried fruit and nut mix, dried mango, coconut lime bites, chocolate chia energy bites, bananas, apples, raw ice cream.

Creamy Cashew Dressing & Sweet Coconut Cashew Cream [raw]

This deliciously creamy dressing has been our family’s go-to salad dressing for many years. I like to use it for coleslaw, green salads, and as a substitute for sour cream. Even if you’re not eating raw or vegan, it’s just one more way to lower your dairy consumption in a meal.

Creamy Cashew Dressing

• 1 cup raw cashews, preferably soaked overnight or for at least a few hours
• 2-3 Medjool dates [when not eating raw you could use a few TBS maple syrup instead]
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 TBS lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Blend to a cream, adding water until the consistency you want is reached. For a sour cream substitute, obviously you want to use less.

Additions

• Italian-style creamy dressing: add a few handfuls of fresh basil and oregano or a tsp each of dried, as well as 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• Mustard: add 1 TBS wholegrain mustard [can add 1 TBS raw honey too, for a honey mustard dressing]

Sweet Coconut and Cashew Cream

1. Soak one cup raw cashews and 1 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut in water overnight or for at least a few hours
2. Pour out most of the soaking water and add 4 TBS maple syrup [or 6 Medjool dates if you’re keeping it raw] and 1/2 tsp almond extract
3. Blend with either a hand blender or standalone until creamy.
4. Store in fridge for up to five days.

Use as a dip with any fruit or as a raw icing.

Raw October: week two

This week contained an unparalleled treat: Dan and I celebrated our October twentieth anniversary by going out for lunch... during our thirty day raw detox! We went to Ezra’s Enlightened Cafe in Indianapolis and enjoyed Buddha bowls as well as raw desserts. Driving such a distance to go out to eat during a detox is no small sacrifice, but Dan took a day off work and I gave myself a day off from the fall cleaning operation that beset our home this week. Besides, I had plenty of knitting time as Dan did all the driving!

Friday

Breakfast: muesli with apples, Brazil nuts, bananas, & homemade coconut milk

Lunch: avocados and cherry tomatoes with salt, pepper, garlic

Tea: green salad with cashew dressing, coconut meal, olives, yellow peppers, rainbow carrots, and cucumber

Saturday

Breakfast: muesli with apples, bananas, Brazil nuts, almonds & homemade coconut milk

Lunch: carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, apples, & spiced chocolate chia bites

Tea: taco salad with taco filling, greens, cashew cream, homemade salsa, avocados.

Dan’s birthday cake: raw pumpkin cheesecake

Sunday

Breakfast: smoothies with blueberries

Lunch: green salad with leftover taco filling, cherry tomatoes, olives, avocados, cashew dressing, fresh coriander

Tea: watermelon, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, almonds, coconut lime bites

Monday

Breakfast: smoothies with mixed berries

Lunch: spinach and beet leaf salad with walnuts, dried cranberries, sprouted wild rice, cashew dressing

Tea: green salad with leftover taco filling, sprouted wild rice & sprouted mung beans, avocado, cherry tomatoes, homemade salsa

Tuesday:

Breakfast: smoothies with mango and mixed berries

Lunch: walnuts, almonds & dried cranberries, apples

Tea: broccoli salad with dried cranberries, cashews, cashew dressing, & red onion

Wednesday:

Breakfast: smoothies with mixed berries & cacao

Lunch: Buddha bowls with kale, greens, raw hummus, raw falafel, carrots, & beets. 

Tea: Raw key lime cheesecake & raw walnut cacao cake

Thursday:

Breakfast: smoothies with mixed berries & cacao

Lunch: kale marinated in lime juice & olive oil with grated carrots & beets, spinach & beet leaves, kalamata olives.

Tea: leftover broccoli salad with the addition of grated beets, green apples, & sprouted mung beans.

Snacks: Fruit, dried fruit and nut mix, chocolate chia spice bites, coconut lime bites.

Raw October: Week One

This is the first time we’ve done a raw food detox with two of our older kids joining us, for this first week at least! Fortunately our twin who’s NOT doing the raw food detox helpfully shouldered most of the responsibility for cooked food this week. 

We used old recipes and I created a few new ones. One of my favourite things about food preparation is the opportunity for creativity. I love thinking about which flavours I want to experience in a meal and how to craft recipes that reflect that. 

 Friday, 1st

Breakfast: mixed berry smoothies

Lunch: spinach and kale salad with plenty of sunflower seeds, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and creamy cashew dressing

Tea: Carrot pasta bowls [carrot ribbons marinated in olive oil and lemon juice with olives, leeks, and basil] eaten with mung bean sprouts and pea shoots

Saturday, 2nd 

Breakfast: “purple” smoothies [with dragonfruit & blueberries]

Lunch: broccoli salad with red onions, sunflower seeds, raisins, green apples, and cashew dressing

Tea: raw tacos with cashew cream and fresh salsa

Sunday, 3rd 

Breakfast: muesli with almonds, almond milk, apples, and bananas

Lunch: curried cauliflower and cashew mash, green salad with cashew dressing, raw sprouted chickpea hummus with carrots, peppers, celery sticks

Tea: smoothies with mixed berries and cacao

Monday, 4th 

Breakfast: muesli with almonds, almond milk, apples, bananas, and mango

Lunch: smoothies with mixed berries and cacao

Tea: chef’s salad with mung bean sprouts, romaine, rainbow carrots, onions, tomatoes, radishes, sunflower seeds, kalamata olives, coconut meal leftovers from homemade coconut milk, & cashew dressing

Tuesday, 5th

Breakfast: peach & carrot smoothies 

Lunch: red cabbage and carrot coleslaw with cashew dressing & sunflower seeds

Tea: sweet & sour stir “fry” with sprouted mung beans and sesame seeds

Wednesday, 6th

Breakfast: mixed berry smoothies

Lunch: leftover coleslaw with cashew dressing, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, & chopped apples

Tea: garlic lover’s salad with sprouted mung beans

Thursday, 7th 

Breakfast: muesli with Brazil nuts, almond milk, apples, & bananas

Lunch: raw vegetable chilli with green salad and almond meal leftovers from almond milk

Tea: smoothies with mixed berries & cacao

Snacks: dried fruit and nut mix, raw Lara bars, apples, bananas, carrot sticks with raw hummus, chocolate chia bites, watermelon.

Almond Milk & Coconut Milk Recipes

There’s a creamier version of homemade almond milk in the raw breakfast recipe here. But another version I use nowadays, making raw milks in larger amounts, is this one:

• 1 cup almonds, soaked overnight
• 5 cups water

For coconut milk:

• 1 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
• 5 cups water

Blend until creamy, about two minutes on high speed, depending on your blender.

Both coconut or almond milk can be poured through a bag that removes the meal to make them smoother. Use the meal to top green salads, in raw snack balls, in raw pie crusts, or in cooked food like cookies or pancakes.

Freshly made milk can be stored in mason jars in the fridge for as long as they last-- not long around here! Both coconut and almond milks, stored in a closed jar, will stay fresh for at least a week in the fridge.

Breakfast Smoothies 2

This is an updated version of our old smoothie recipe, which you can find here.  This newer version is the one we’ve been using for the past six years or so. The fruit content has changed slightly and I’ve removed some of the nuts. This is a basic recipe, but below it I’ve included some yummy ideas for combinations. Use your imagination!

Currently, our morning batches of smoothie are quite large, but I’ve written this recipe in single serving quantities so you can double, triple, or quadruple as needed! You can also multiply the recipe and save extra in a mason jar in the fridge for the next day.

Makes one portion

The night before you plan to have smoothie, soak in a jar or glass jug (either in fridge or covered on the countertop):

• 2 heaping tablespoons steelcut oats
• 2 heaping tablespoons desiccated unsweetened coconut 
• 1 Brazil nut (optional)
• 1/2 pitted Medjool date

In the morning, add the soaking mixture to a blender container along with 1/3 of an apple and 1/3 of a banana. Add 1/4 cup of another fruit: berries or anything else you like, really. [see below for additions to change the flavor!] All fruit can be either frozen or fresh; whatever is most available. Add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed. Fill the blender container to the 2-cup mark and blend well. [about 6-8 oz water, measured]

1. Blueberry Cacao - 1/4 cup blueberries, small piece of avocado, small piece of fresh pineapple, 1/4 cup homemade almond milk, one heaping tablespoon cacao powder, few drops of vanilla extract.
2. Blueberry Lemon - 1/4 cup blueberries, handful of greens like spinach or kale, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon rind, piece of fresh pineapple, one tablespoon grated fresh beetroot, few drops of almond extract. 
3. Carrot Cake - two pecans, 1/4 cup homemade almond milk, one piece of pineapple, 1/4 cup grated fresh carrot, a bit of lemon peel, 1/4 tsp mixed spice or cinnamon, 1 tsp maple syrup, a few drops vanilla extract.
4. Mango Strawberry - three or four strawberries, 1/4 cup mango pieces, one tablespoon grated fresh carrot.
5. Peach & Carrot - 1/3 peach, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, one tablespoon grated fresh carrot, few drops vanilla extract.
6. Pineapple Cream - (add two pecans & two Brazil nuts to the soaking mixture) two large pieces fresh pineapple, 1/4 cup homemade almond milk, a few drops almond extract.
7. Pineapple Strawberry - three or four strawberries, 1/4 cup fresh pineapple pieces, 1/4 cup homemade almond milk.
8. Purple - 1/4 cup blueberries, one piece of frozen dragonfruit, one small piece of pineapple.