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Chocolate, Desserts, Holidays, Pudding, Recipes, Valentine's Day

Delicious Puddings for Valentines Day

Valentine Puddings for Your Sweetheart

Image by LenM
Image by LenM

Valentine’s Day is only a few days away. I know, I know…. my focus is primarily on healthy foods, but there are a few occasions when sweets are appropriate – and Valentine’s Day is one.  Make your Valentine dinner especially romantic with a delicious homemade Valentine’s Day Pudding.

To make it easy for you, I have collected six yummy recipes. Choose one, or make several and have a pudding feast.

HONEY PUDDING

Ingredients

  • ½ cup honey
  • 6 ounces bread crumbs
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • 1 whole lemon rind (grated)
  • 2 eggs (separated)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Directions

    1. Separate the eggs.
    2. Place the egg whites in a small bowl and set aside.
    3. Place all ingredients except butter and egg whites in a mixing bowl.
    4. Whip until thoroughly mixed.
    5. Stir in the softened butter.
    6. Beat the egg whites until frothy.
    7. Gently blend egg whites into the mixture.
    8. Pour a little honey in the bottom of the pudding mold.
    9. Gently transfer the pudding into the mold (should be no more than ¾ full).
    10. Cover and seal with a piece of foil.
    11. Using a large lidded saucepan, bring water to a boil and carefully set pudding dish in the pan.
    12. Cover and steam it for about 2 hours, check occasionally to make sure it does not boil dry.
    13. For more detailed directions, go to: How to Steam a Pudding

BAKED CHOCOLATE MERINGUE PUDDING

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, separated (set whites aside for meringue)
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons butter (not margarine)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Mix together: sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in a medium saucepan, stir until well blended.
  3. Separate the eggs, reserving whites for meringue.
  4. Whisk egg yolks into the milk in a separate bowl.
  5. Add milk and egg mixture to dry ingredients and whisk to blend until smooth.
  6. Place saucepan over medium heat.
  7. Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously as mixture thickens.
  8. When mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon, remove from heat.
  9. Add vanilla and butter – stir to blend.
  10. Pour into casserole (or soufflé) dish.
  11. Bake for 20 minutes – or until pudding is set.
  12. During last few minutes of baking, make the meringue.
  13. Remove pudding from the oven and increase temperature to 400° F.
  14. Top with meringue (directions below).

Meringue Ingredients

  • 3 egg whites (from above)
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
  • 6 tablespoons sugar

Directions

  1. Stir cream of tartar into the sugar – set aside
  2. Place egg whites in mixing bowl.
  3. With an electric mixer, beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.
  4. Using medium speed, add one spoonful of sugar at a time to the beaten egg whites.
  5. Increase mixture speed to high and continue to beat until sugar is completely dissolved.
  6. Spread meringue carefully over the top of the pudding.
  7. Bake in pre-heated oven (400° F) for ten minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.
  8. Serve warm or chilled.

Serves 4 – 6

JELLY PUDDING

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of fine stale English biscuit or bread crumbs
  • 1 cup rich milk (add a little half-and-half to make it richer)
  • 5 eggs (separated) and both beaten very lightly
  • ½ teaspoon soda stirred in small amount of boiling water
  • 1 cup sweet jelly, jam or marmalade.

Directions

  1. Scald the milk and pour over the crumbs
  2. Beat until cool.
  3. Stir in the beaten yolks – then, add the whites.
  4. Stir in the soda/water mixture.
  5. Fill large pudding cups half full with the batter.
  6. Bake in a quick oven (375° – 4.00°) for 30 minutes.
  7. When done, turn out quickly and carefully.
  8. With a sharp knife make an incision in the side of each pudding.
  9. Pull each one partly open, and put a liberal spoonful of the conserve inside.
  10. Close the opening by pinching the edges with your fingers.
  11. Eat warm with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

APPLE CUSTARD PUDDING

Ingredients

  • 1 quart apples (pared and quartered)
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar (white or brown)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 whole lemon rind (grated and juiced)
  • 2 cups fine bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 eggs (well-beaten)
  • Hard Sauce (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Generously butter a pudding baking dish.
  3. Place apples and water in a large heavy saucepan.
  4. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until soft.
  5. Remove from heat and add sugar, butter and the grated rind and lemon juice.
  6. Stir in the bread crumbs and flour.
  7. Stir in the two well-beaten eggs.
  8. Scoop batter into the buttered baking dish,
  9. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
  10. Serve with sugar and heavy cream or hard sauce.

CHEESE PUDDING

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 3½ cups bread crumbs
  • ½ pound cheese, grated
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 4 eggs, well beaten

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
  2. Place milk and butter in a sauce pan over medium heat until butter is melted.
  3. Place bread crumbs and grated cheese in large bowl
  4. Pour milk/butter mixture over breads crumbs and cheese – soak for twenty minutes
  5. Add the well-beaten eggs and a pinch of salt – stir until well mixed.
  6. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered dish.
  7. Bake up to 40 Minutes – until set.

DATE PUDDING

Ingredients

  • 1½  cup chopped dates
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Dash salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325° F.
  2. Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside.
  3. Chop the dates and the nuts.
  4. Place both in large mixing bowl.
  5. Stir in the sugar and mix well.
  6. In a separate bowl, whip together the egg, milk and vanilla.
  7. Add to the date/nut mixture.
  8. Stir in the dry ingredients
  9. Pour batter into a generously-buttered 2-quart baking dish.
  10. Dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter.
  11. Bake in pre-heated oven for ~30 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
  12. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or hard sauce.

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Serves 4 – can easily be cut in half for two servings.

ENJOY! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Breakfast, Recipes

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

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Blueberry Buttermilk PancakesIf your family loves pancakes for breakfast or dinner as much as mine does, these Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes will be a big hit. The tang of buttermilk makes these pancakes better and brighter than usual. Always use fresh blueberries and adjust the amount to your personal taste.

[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#9e0c0c “]Ingredients[/typography]

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ scant teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • (1 tablespoon extra for brushing griddle)
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”18″ size_k format=”px” color=”#9e0c0c”]Directions[/typography]

Preheat an electric griddle to 375°F, or place a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.

Add the eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons melted butter, and whisk to combine. The batter should have small to medium lumps.

(You can make pancakes with and without the butter mixed in, they work either way. Personally, I prefer the richness that the butter adds.)

Test the griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If the water bounces and spatters, the griddle is hot enough.

Brush the remaining ½ teaspoon butter onto the griddle with a pastry brush. Wipe off the excess with a folded paper towel.

Pour the batter in pools 2” apart (about ½ cup for a 6-inch pancake).

(For blueberry pancakes, arrange a handful over the cooking pancake, pressing them in slightly.)

When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2½ minutes, flip over. If any batter oozes or blueberries roll out, push them back under with your spatula.

Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.

Repeat with the remaining batter.

Place the pancakes on a heat-proof plate in the oven at 175°F.

Serve warm with plenty of butter and powdered sugar (or hot maple syrup).

4 Servings

Taken from my cookbook, Breakfast and Brunch – 60 Delicious Recipes [button link=”http://amzn.to/12y0NtG” bg_color=”#9e0b30″]GET YOUR COPY NOW![/button]

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Great American Cookbook Project

The Great American Cookbook Project

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[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”24″ size_format=”px”]Help Us Compile the Best Cookbook Ever![/typography] Cookbook with wooden spoon (pink)

The goal is to collect the best recipes from every state and region of the United States and publish a fabulous cookbook – The Great American Cookbook – that will become an heirloom for mothers to pass to their children. I am inviting YOU and all your friends to participate in this project.  I am looking for family favorites, recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation, regional and cultural specialties, new recipes that you have just discovered, and any other types of recipes that you love.

I also encourage you to include a story about the recipe – how did you find the recipe, why do you love it, when do you use it, etc.

[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”24″ size_format=”px” color=”#d11e50″]Start posting your favorite recipes TODAY![/typography] 

[button bg_color=”#d11e50“]Share Your Recipes[/button]

As I receive them, I will prepare (and test) many of them myself and invite readers to prepare them, as well and give us their impressions.  Together we will find the best of the best.

I have no idea how large the book will be, it is all up to you.  The goal is to have at least one recipe from every state and major region of the United States in each of the four basic categories:

  • Breakfast 
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Dessert

We’ll see where the recipes take us! I am excited and I hope you will be too.

Send your recipes today.  You can submit as many entries as you like.

Prizes will be given for the winners of all contests that are run in connection with the development of the book.

Complete details will be posted at a later date. Just know that if your recipe is included, you will receive credit.

It would be great to have this ready by Mother’s Day 2014!  Let’s make that a reality.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Nancy N. Wilson

[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#b03510“] [print_link][/typography]

Cakes, Desserts, Recipes

Gingerbread Cake and Cream Cheese Topping

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Piece of Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread was one of my mother’s favorites, which she made, as usual, from memory (I am not sure she ever used a recipe). After trying many different versions, this is the one that I like the best.

This spicy, sweet cake usually falls into the “bread” category, but since it is a generations-old favorite with children and adults alike, I wanted to include it with the traditional cakes. It can be served plain as an in-between meal, packed in a lunch for the office, or after-school snack; and it is equally delicious for dessert when dressed up with lightly sweetened whipped cream, ice cream or Whipped Cream Cheese Topping (Recipe below).

Ingredients

1 cup boiling water, coffee, or orange juice

1 cup butter (do not use margarine)

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup light or dark molasses

(Maple syrup or honey can be substituted for molasses)

3 large eggs

2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

  • Have all ingredients at room temperature.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 325º F.
  • Generously butter a 9” X 13”-inch baking pan.
  • Place the butter, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl.
  • Pour the boiling liquid over the mixture – stir until butter is melted and set aside to cool.
  • When the mixture is cool, beat in the eggs.
  • Combine the flour, salt, soda, and spices and sift into the liquid mixture – beat just until smooth.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
  • Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool on a wire rack.
  • Serve plain with a dusting of powder sugar, with whipped cream, ice cream, or frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Topping (Recipe Below)

 

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

This is an excellent topping for spicy cakes that are served in the pan, such as the Gingerbread Cake recipe above.

[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”20″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3062e”]Ingredients[/typography]

3 ounces cream cheese, cold

¼ cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon sugar-free Tang drink mix

½ teaspoon grated lemon peel

(OR – 1 tablespoon grated orange peel)

[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”20″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3062e”]Directions[/typography]

  • Place all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
  • Spoon over squares of your favorite cake served from the pan.

 

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Taken from: Cake Making Made Easy – Instructions and 60 Cakes [button link=”http://amzn.to/15wlWqS” bg_color=”#c72e42″]Get Your Copy NOW![/button]