Halloween Recipe: Toffee Apple Sponge Puddings

Toffee Apple Sponge Puddings

These little puds looked like the perfect after-dinner treat, and so easy too! As usual, I took the idea from Simon Rimmer's Something for the Weekend recipe and made up my own version. Again, though, (when will I learn that the recipe generally helps rather than hinders?) the toffee sauce went a bit grainy, probably because I used single cream as it was in the fridge, and because the sugar went clumpy: I think I'd melt the sugar with the butter to start, then add the cream and condensed milk. Simply combine equal quantities of soft brown sugar, double cream, condensed milk and butter. Heat til bubbly and thickly sticky.

For the cake mixture, I always make a very simple one that's so easy to remember. Equal quantities of butter, sugar and flour, half of that in eggs and another half in baking powder. So, for example, 4oz sugar, butter and flour, 2 eggs, 1tsp baking powder. Basically, mix it all together, I never bother creaming the butter and sugar first, but one tip I did learn was to just combine the flour at the end and mix as little as possible to prevent the gluten from stretching.

Basically, you make a toffee sauce, coat the softened chunks of apple in it (I chop mine and pop it in the microwave with a little sugar and water,) leaving some sauce to pour over the sponge at the end. Put a splodge of toffee covered apple in the bottom of a greased ramekin or dariole mould. Blob the cake mixture over the top and bake for between 10 and 20 mins. Tip out when cooked and pour over the sauce. It really was incredibly quick and easy, but absolutely delicious.

Chocolate Fondants

Firstly, thanks to Dan for posting this recipe so promptly after my request! I made them as soon as I could and I wasn't disappointed. The recipe was so easy to follow, lots of eggs, butter and chocolate, but who cares? It is a dessert after all. I mixed the eggs with the sugar as requested; melted the butter with the chocolate; whipped it all together without scrambling the eggs and added the flour. I tipped it into buttered and floured ramekins - can't seem to get hold of Dariole moulds, any ideas? - and cooked two immediately - 10 mins in a hot oven. The other two I popped into the fridge to have the next night. Both the first set, and the second turned out perfectly. No, I couldn't get them out of the ramekins whole. but they were just as good dipping into them from the top! Delicious! In fact, I've even done them again this weekend for when mum and dad come down to visit.

Rustic Chorizo Paysan

Last night we had a ball! Before I begin, I must thank our fantastic hosts, Titto and Champs. Yes, I know we had to bring our own chairs, and that drinking wine from a sherry glass is often 'frowned upon' in more elite circles (!), but all of this added to the general merriment and fun of the evening. And we were amongst good friends which is what counts most.

The food was excellent, despite us agreeing that the blog's title could easily have been 'Prison Slops'. The flavours, however, spoke for themselves. Our main course was a rustic and very tasty chorizo stew/casserole. Titto also went to the effort to pop out during his precious lunch hour; he bought not one, but two types of chorizo to add to the depth of flavour. Whilst cooking, the stew developed rich and smoky undertones spiced with tomatoes, peppers, red onion and kidney and cannellini beans: It was scrummy! The boys even had second helpings, which is when we remembered to take the pictures, hence the muddled presentation!

Now, pudding was something of which I had never heard before - a self-saucing cake! Basically, this is a cake that comes out with its own sauce - it really is magic! From what I can remember, its a basic chocolate cake recipe in an oven-proof bowl with a layer of water, sugar and cocoa mix poured over the top. The cake cooks, the top bit makes a sauce and it all mixes up! Champs usually uses a tried and tested recipe from her school days but, as she couldn't get her hands on it, she adapted a 'found' recipe. It turned out perfectly and was delicious, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, mmm. I found a similar recipe online, and it's Australian, much like Champs!

(This is in brackets because I'm whispering! Before I go, I must just set the record straight! It appears that Titto 'developed' his Naan Bread Pizza recipe from one Champs had previously devised using large Pitta bread - so credit where credit's due!)

Thanks guys - we'll host the return leg very soon,

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