< Previous172 I The Cottagecore Baking BookOld-Fashioned Desserts I 173 Sticky Toffee Pear Puddings A rich and decadent English dessert, sticky toffee pudding or sticky date pudding was created sometime in the early 20th century. With the same base as a fluffy sponge cake, the batter itself is made with rich ingredients like brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom, combined with soaked dates and espresso. This version includes Brown Sugar–Poached Pears and is topped with a delicious, sticky toffee caramel sauce, making this an incredibly luscious dessert. What’s even better? It’s made in individual servings, which creates a memorable presentation. Makes 6 puddings Sticky Toffee Pudding 1 cup (114 g) roughly chopped dates ¾ cup (108 g) raisins 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water ½ cup (116 g) salted butter, softened 1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar, packed 4 large eggs 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 2 tbsp (8 g) instant espresso powder Brown Sugar–Poached Pears 6 firm, small, skinny pears (1.2 kg), such as Bosc or Concorde 2 cups (480 ml) water 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, packed 1 tsp vanilla extract To begin, place the chopped dates and raisins in a small bowl. Cover the dried fruit with the boiling water and stir to com- pletely cover the dates and raisins. Allow the fruit to soak in the hot water for 1 hour. While you wait, you may begin making the Brown Sugar— Poached Pears. Peel the pears completely but leave them whole. In a large saucepan, bring the water and brown sugar to a boil, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar. Add the pears and vanilla and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the pears in the syrup for about 20 minutes, turning them over occasion- ally. Remove the pan from the heat and let the pears cool to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and flour six 8-ounce (226-g) ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet with a lip in case of any spills while baking. After the dates and raisins have soaked, begin making the pudding. In a large bowl or standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until it is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until they are fully incorporated, 2 to 4 minutes, then stir in the vanilla. In small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg. Stir this into the wet ingredients until there are no visible, dry bits in the batter. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure that everything is combined well, about 4 minutes. Once the batter has come together, add the dates and raisins with the water and the instant espresso powder. Stir until the ingredients are fully combined, about 2 minutes. (continued) No-Bake Cheesecake Filling 1½ cups (348 g) cream cheese, softened ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream, room temperature ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar ⅔ cup (79 g) powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream Blueberries, for decorating Extra whipped cream, for decorating Melted white chocolate, for decorating Edible flowers, for decorating While the crust is chilling, make the No-Bake Cheesecake Filling. In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth, and there are no visible lumps of cream cheese, 5 to 6 minutes. In a separate large bowl, whip the heavy cream until it reaches stiff peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold one half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the second half, until it is light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes total. Divide the cheesecake filling among three medium bowls. With the Blueberry Syrup, use about two-thirds of the mix in one of the bowls of cheesecake filling. This will be the top and darkest layer. Divide the remaining one-third of the blueberry mixture between the other two bowls of cheesecake filling, making one a medium shade of blue and the other a very light shade of blue. It will take a bit of experimenting and mixing to get the shades that you want as the cheesecake filling really drinks up the Blueberry Syrup after sitting for a minute or two. Once the fillings have been colored to your liking, it is time to layer them. Bring the chilled crusts to the countertop. Scoop the different colored fillings into three piping bags with the tips cut off. Pipe the lightest colored layer into the cheesecakes, directly over the Graham Cracker Crust. Smooth out any air bubbles with the back of a spoon. Then, pipe the medium- colored layer over the lightest colored layer. Smooth out any air bubbles again. Finally, finish with the darkest colored layer, smoothing out any air bubbles and smoothing out the top of the cheesecake as best as you can. Place the cheesecakes into the freezer for several hours or until the cheesecakes are fully hardened and no longer super jiggly. Once they have been chilled and hardened, cut them out of the cake collars or pop them out of the cheesecake pan with a knife. Decorate the tops of the cheesecakes with fresh blueberries, whipped cream, and drizzled white chocolate. Edible flowers make for a wonderful touch, as well! Serve the cheesecakes chilled. To store the cheesecakes, cover them with foil and place in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. Layered Blueberry No-Bake Cheesecakes (continued)Next >