Sticky Wicket Pud

       I'm in a bit of a sticky wicket with my Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Will some people be alright with my little twist to the classic?  Well, if not, it is easily left to the more adventurous.


Armed with my son's home brew and this recipe for Stout Caramel....

       I dared to layer two different caramels and mine is a bundt style cake instead of steamed.....How is that for taking the mick?

Here is your free Wiki description of the origins of Sticky Toffee Pudding:

Origins

Francis Coulson developed and served sticky toffee pudding at his Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in the Lake District in the 1970s. Food critic Simon Hopkinson claimed that Coulson told him he got the recipe from a Patricia Martin of Claughton in Lancashire. Martin had published the recipe in a compilation that later became The Good Food Guide Dinner Party Book, and first served the dish at her country hotel. Coulson's recipe only differs from Martin's in the sauce. Her son later told Hopkinson that she had originally got the recipe from two Canadian air force officers who had lodged at her hotel during the Second World War. According to Hopkinson, this Canadian origin makes sense, as the pudding uses a batter more akin to that of an American muffin, rather than an English sponge.

I bottled the stout sauce because a little goes a long way.

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter and flour a Bundt pan.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs


Bring dates and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan with tall sides. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Set aside.

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/4 cup butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend (mixture will be grainy). Add 1 egg; beat to blend. Add half of flour mixture and half of date mixture; beat to blend. Repeat with remaining 1 egg, flour mixture, and date mixture. Pour batter into mold.

Bake 40-45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert pudding onto rack.


Sauce:

1 1/4 cups  brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

It just needs some ice cream, custard, or a dollop of whipped cream.

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Is This Something Like Harry Potter Sauce?

We chose brown sauce on our luxury sausage rolls last time.  Well, as promised we will make a homemade version of the fruity, savory sauce.  It is quite dear to buy stateside and you lose out on undesirable additives with the homemade version.  The major brand HP is widely available (with perhaps, in some cases, a different recipe).  The other major brand Daddy's is less available, but not unheard of, in specialty stores.

Can you bare a bit of brown sauce history?  Many a Brit will ask for brown sauce on a bacon butty (that is if they aren't in the red sauce camp). Here is a basic run down of where this sauce originated.   There are many brands , including off brands; HP, Daddy's, Branston and Heinz has a version, just to name a few.   The original idea is that the sauce originated from Harry Palmer, a gambling addict who sold his recipe for "Harry Palmer's Famous Epsom Sauce" to cover his debts.  Somewhat muddled in a not official history is the claim that A Nottinghamshire grocer concocted the recipe in the 1870's. He registered the name HP Sauce in 1895, claiming that Parliament had started serving it.  Hence the depiction of the Parliament buildings on the HP (Houses of Parliament) bottles.  The sauce has been also known as Wilson's gravy, as the PM at the time Harry Wilson supposedly loved the stuff and dosed everything edible with it.  The motorway near Brum had a pipeline over it carrying malt vinegar within the factory in Aston. Doom for the workers in Brum and the original recipe came with buy out of HP by an American company.

For the preparation of the homemade version!


 The savory side:

1/2 c. malt vinegar
 1 tbsp. mustard
 3 tomatoes, chopped
 1 tsp. onion powder
 1 tsp.  garlic powder
 2 anchovy fillets (not shown)

 The sweet elements:

 1/3 c. dark brown sugar
 1/4 c.  molasses


The fruity bits:

 3 tbsp. tamarind pulp
 1/3 c. pitted dates, roughly chopped
 2 apples, roughly chopped


Just a word about tamarind:

A long bean that is brown in colour, with a tangy, fruity flavour.  This pod grows on trees that originated in Africa.  It is rich in vitamin B and calcium.  It is said that tamarind helps with stomach complaints. It is used ina wide range of cuisines and food products, everything from Pad Thai to candy to beverages....Oh, and of course, sauce!

A bit of spice:

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne

It is a given you need some salt and pepper, a couple of dashes each.


Bang all this in a large pot.  Cook and reduce for an eternity (30 minutes).  Using a hand blender, whiz up into a lovely smooth, dare I say sauce?  Cook and reduce another 15 minutes., or until the consistency you desire.  Adjust seasoning and strain. You can keep this in a rather large bottle/jar in the refrigerator.

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