A TASTE OF CHRISTMAS
Soho House shares its sticky British tradition,
When searching for a traditional Christmas pudding recipe, I looked no further than Toronto’s Soho House on Adelaide St. W. This private member’s club, which originated in London, England in 1995, has a drool-worthy recipe for sticky toffee pudding.
“It’s the signature British, wintry dessert,” says pastry chef Kirsten Pettit, adding it is on the menu at all of the club’s North American locations.
This pudding is moist and dense with multiple layers of sweetness coming from a combination of dates, corn syrup, demerara sugar, and of course, the silky toffee sauce.
It’s Christmas by the fireplace crammed into a little upside-down cupcake-sized pudding.
Pettit suggests making the puddings and sauce one or two days ahead of time and reheating upon serving. The extra toffee sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week in an airtight container. Drizzle it on top of ice cream or fruit, use it to flavour frosting, or “just eat it with a spoon,” Pettit says.
If you don’t have self-rising flour, combine 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder with every 1 cup (250 mL) allpurpose flour, Pettit says. And if using metal foil cups, spray with cooking spray and coat in sugar to prevent sticking.
“Here we bake them in individual foil cups but at home you can do it in ramekins or cupcake tins, or go big, family-style and bake it in a giant dish or a loaf tin,” Pettit says.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Star Tested For the pudding 11/2 cups (375 mL) water 1 1/3 cups (330 mL) dried, pitted dates 1 cup (250 mL) (250 mL) (250 mL) self-rising flour 1/2 tsp (5 mL) baking soda 1/2 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup (250 mL) tightly packed demerara sugar 1/3 cup (80 mL) golden corn syrup 1/3 cup (80 mL) fancy molasses 2 large eggs
In a small pot over medium heat, bring water to a gentle simmer. Add dates and cook for 5 minutes, letting the dates soften. Transfer dates and water to a blender and blitz until mixture becomes smooth and there are no lumps. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment set at medium speed, cream butter, sugar, corn syrup and molasses until everything is incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Continue to mix until smooth.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Add blended date mixture. With mixer still on, add flour mixture a bit of a time, careful not to spill. Continue to blend until flour is incorporated and batter is an even colour and consistency.
Pour batter into two lined cupcake trays, filling each cupcake liner halfway.
Bake at 335 F (170 C) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack completely before removing paper liners.
Makes about 20 puddings.
For toffee sauce
2 cups (500 mL) table cream 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) brown sugar, tightly packed 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 tsp (5 mL) table salt Vanilla ice cream, if desired
In a small saucepan over mediumlow heat, whisk together cream, sugar, butter and salt until the butter has melted and sugar has completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Do not let sauce come to a boil.
Using a slotted spoon, dip individual puddings into the warm toffee sauce or drizzle the sauce on top of puddings. Top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Makes about 2 cups toffee sauce.
Test kitchen tips Demerara-what? Demerara sugar looks like regular brown sugar but its larger crystals give it a slightly crunchier texture so it takes longer to dissolve. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top of oatmeal or granola. DIY brown sugar: You can make your own brown sugar by mixing 1 tbsp (15mL) fancy molasses for every cup of granulated sugar. karon.lui@gmail.com