Sticky Toffee Pudding

One thing I have always missed since going dairy-free is being able to have a selection of puddings when eating out. I adore proper rib sticking, more calories than its worth thinking of, puddings. My local Health Food Shop had bags of dates on special which inspired me to revisit an all time childhood favourite, Sticky Toffee Pudding. I made the recipe my own with more dates than normal as well as a couple of other tweaks to make these the ultimate in indulgence. We scoffed ours with big scoops of vanilla ice cream for a more summery treat but a banana custard would be equally delicious over the top.

Ingredients:
For the Puddings:
230g pitted dates
175ml boiling water
2 tsp vanilla extract
175g self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
85g butter - I used soy
140g demerara sugar
2 tbsp treacle
100ml milk - I used soy

For the sauce:
175g sugar
50g butter
225ml cream - I used soy
1 tbsp treacle

Method:
Roughly chop the dates into small pieces and place in a bowl with the hot water and set to one side for half an hour. While the dates are soaking, preheat your oven to 160c fan. Take a muffin tray and coat each muffin cup with butter and then a dusting of flour to prevent sticking.

In a seperate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined and creamy then carefully add in the eggs and treacle. Gently fold in the flour and bicarb before adding the milk and mixing well until a thick batter forms.

Add the vanilla extract to the dates before mashing them with a fork to break them down, Add  to the batter and mix well. Spoon the mixture carefully into the pre-prepared cake tins and bake for 20 -25 mins until springy to touch and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tins to cool for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto a cooling rack.

While the puddings are baking, melt together the sugar and butter for the sauce with half the cream. Once these have melted together, add the treacle and let bubble for a few minutes until it becomes a rich toffee colour. Remove from the heat and add the rest of the cream.

Place the puddings onto dishes and top with the sauce, if you can leave them overnight to soak and become delightfully sticky then even better.  Pop in the oven at 160c fan for around 20 minutes to reheat until the sauce is bubbling.

Serve hot with ice cream or custard.

When you make these, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Lemon and Apple cake

This recipe came about after I made a batch of apple scones and had a couple of apples left over. I blended a few recipes to come up with this which my brother especially loved, and he's overly honest when it comes to my baking! Fresh and light, this recipe has a lovely summery feel.

Ingredients:

750g cooking apples
1 lemon - zest and juice
250g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs
100g demerara sugar plus extra for sprinkling
200ml milk - I used soy
100ml sunflower oil


Method:

Preheat you oven to 170c fan and line and grease a 23cm loose bottom cake tin. Peel, core and finely chop the apples and place in a bowl with the lemon juice and zest and leave to one side.

Pop all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix together. In a jug, measure out the sunflower oil and milk and add the eggs and beat together, this should look like something out of a zombie movie before beating but it will come together.

Add the wet mix to the dry mix and stir thoroughly, making sure to incorporate all of the ingredients together.

Gently add in the apples and stir before spooning into the prepared cake tin. Top with sugar and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool for around 10 minutes then carefully run a spatula around the sides of the tin. Place the tin on top of a large glass or tub and carefully slide the sides down. Lift the cake, still on the base, off and carefully tip top down onto a cooling rack to remove the base and paper. Allow to cool fully before serving.

This cake will, in theory, last around a week in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

When you make this please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Stuffed Courgettes

Sticking with the childhood food theme, I had wanted to make my own version of the stuffed marrows my mum makes but  I couldn't find any so used courgettes instead and loved the results. I found this a slightly lighter, more summer appropriate take on the classic. Mince or chopped meat could easily be added but I kept this fresh and simple with lots of veggies. This recipe makes roughly two portions as the main part of a meal but would also make a lovely accompaniment. Topped with buttery mashed potato and cheese, these feel indulgent but are relatively healthy.

Ingredients:
2 large courgettes
1 medium aubergine
1 box chestnut mushrooms (roughly 20)
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 box cherry tomatoes (roughly 30)
1 bell pepper
olive oil
salt and pepper
20 small potatoes
butter of your choice
cheese of your choice

Method:
Preheat your oven to 160c. Chop each courgette lengthways and scoop out the middle using a spoon, leaving about a 1cm border all around to create a bowl. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for roughly 20 mins until softened but not caramelised.

While the courgettes are in the oven, roughly chop the potatoes and pop on to boil. Put about 2 tbsp of olive oil into a frying pan over a medium heat, dice the onion and mince the garlic and saute until translucent. Dice the insides of the courgettes along with the aubergine and add to the pan. Once these are soft, add in diced mushrooms, tomatoes and pepper and cook gently until the tomatoes have soften and created a sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the potatoes are soft, drain and add a good dollop of butter before mashing with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove the courgettes from the oven and stuff with the vegetable mix before topping generously with the mashed potato, sprinkle with cheese, I used Tesco's pre-grated free from parmesan, and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese starts to melt.

Sprinkle with black pepper and serve. Enjoy!

When you make this, please take a pic and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife. I love seeing your creations.