Cake Release

When I do cakes for people they always ask how I get the cake out of the pan without ruining it.  My pans are not non-stick.  The trick and I use it for more then just cakes is Wilton Cake Release. 

Now you can use the old fashion oil and flour mixture, but if you have to have the right mix of both, to much oil and your cake is a soggy mess, to much flour and your chocolate cake could be white on the edges.  Cake release solves this issue with the perfect mixture of both in a bottle.  Just squeeze some into the pan and brush all over.  I use it for cakes, squares, and any other baking that I want to take out of the pan easily.

You can get it at Michaels with your 40% off coupon and it last quite awhile. 

Wilton Cake Release

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

This cake was made for last Christmas dinner.  It was gone the next day.  Who knew dried dates could make such a wonderful dessert!

 It’s a British dessert, and it’s not actually pudding. Pudding literally just  means dessert. So this sticky toffee dessert is exactly what it sounds like!  This recipe is from the Joy Of Cooking 75th Anniversary edition cookbook. This would make a great holiday cake for Christmas or Thanksgiving! Its warm and comforting, and best of all it has butterscotch toffee sauce!

Sticky Toffee Pudding
8 servings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour eight 6-ounce ramekins or a 9×2 inch square baking pan. (I used a fluted cake pan)

Combine in a small saucepan:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups water

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in:

• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda   ( i know this isn’t the greatest picture, but it just shows you how the mixture will puff up once you add the baking soda, it will be really airy and spongy.

Set aside. Whisk together in a small bowl:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Beat in large bowl on high speed until lightened in color and fluffy:

• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons  ( 3/4 stick) butter, unsalted, softened

Beat in one at a time:

• 3 large eggs

Beat in:

• 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low just until mixed. Stir in the date mixture, until just combined. Pour into the prepared dish(es).

If using ramekins, put them on a baking sheet. Bake until the pudding is a deep golden brown and a skewer inserted in comes out moist but clean, 20-25 minutes. About 35 minutes for a single larger dish. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the dish(es), then turn out the pudding and invert onto the rack, right side up, to cool slightly. Serve warm, each serving covered generously with warm Butterscotch Sauce.

 Warm Butterscotch Sauce:

Cook, stirring over medium-low heat in a medium heavy saucepan:

• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter ( 1/2 stick)
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Stir to dissolve sugar. Increase heat to medium-high and without sitrring, boil until as thick as corn syrup. about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Add:

• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Allow sauce to thicken on the countertop at room temperature for a while before serving. It makes it nice and gooey and delicious!!

You can make this ahead of time.  When you are eating dinner stick the cake back in the oven to warm.  Just before serving, poke the cake and pour some of the sauce over it.  Use the remainder of the sauce to pour over individual pieces and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This has everything a baked potato has but its a great soup.  I first had this in Fonthill, Ontario at My Place.  A friend ordered it and I ended up finishing it off.  It was wonderful!  This is the recipe I use at home.  It does not last long.

Now if you find the soup gets to thick because of the starch in the potatos, just add more cream or milk when warm.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 3 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 t. dried thyme
• 2 c. shredded sharp cheese, plus additional for garnish
• 1 c. sour cream, plus additional for garnish t
• pepper & salt to taste
• 3 scallions, sliced thin

How to make it

• Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. While bacon is cooking, use vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of potato peel; reserve peels, Cut peeled potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Add reserved potato skins to bacon fat in pot and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potato skins to plate with bacon.
• Add onion to fat remaining in pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth and cream, stir in thyme and potatoes (minus 2 cups), and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes.
• Take the 2 cups of remaining potatos and cut them into bites size pieces.  Boil them in salted water.  When tender remove from heat and water and let cool.
• Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth. Return to pot and warm over medium-high heat. Off heat, stir in cheese until melted, then whisk in sour cream, Return reserved potatoes to pot and season soup with pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with bacon, fried potato skins, scallions, and sour cream.
• REHEATING LEFTOVERS: To reheat leftover portions of the Loaded Baked Potato Soup, gently warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the soup boil, which will cause the sour cream to separate.