Crockpot Sticky Toffee Pudding

Well, my husband being British to the core, Sticky Toffee Pudding is held very dear. I just recently got a 2.4l Crockpot (just the right size for 2-3) and can't wait to try out all the recipes I've been drooling over on Pinterest. This one caught my eye, so of course I had to make it!
The original recipe is found on http://www.plus2point4.co.uk, but she used margarine and egg substitute (I can't imagine why. If you are going to be eating something so decadent and sugary anyway, why fudge on the essentials?!). My version uses the real thing, and more spice than she calls for, since a genuine STP will be dense and spicy as well as sticky and sweet.
Judgement from The Expert: "Fantastic"! Cook adds: "...And much simpler in a Crockpot." So I suspect we will be adding this to our fallback recipes when in the mood for something over-the-top. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the pudding:
50g cold butter, diced (plus extra for greasing)
150g self-raising flour (or this amount of flour plus 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder)
1 tsp. mixed spice (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg) or more, to taste
100g dark muscovado sugar
2 eggs
2 TBS milk
3 TBS golden syrup (or dark corn syrup)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 dessert apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

For the toffee sauce:
125g muscovado sugar
25g butter

How to make it:
1. Using either a souffle dish or proper British pudding bowl, draw around the top and bottom onto grease-proof or parchment paper; cut circles out.
2. Butter the inside of a pudding bowl or soufflé dish small enough to fit inside the Crockpot.
3. Place the grease-proof paper circle from the bottom inside the greased container. Set the top circle of paper aside.
4. Sift the flour and mixed spice together into a large bowl and rub in the butter (or use a pastry cutter) until it resembles breadcrumbs.
5. Stir in the sugar, then mix in the eggs, milk, vanilla essence, golden syrup and milk until smooth. Stir in the apple bits.
6. Spoon the mixture into the pudding bowl or soufflè dish. Sprinkle the muscovado sugar evenly over it, and place blobs of butter on top.
7. Place the remaining circle of grease-proof paper firmly on top.  Cover entire top with aluminum foil, sealing well.
8. Place a pastry ring or upturned saucer in the slow cooker. Put the soufflé dish on top of this, and carefully fill the slow cooker with hot water half way up the sides of the container.
9. Cover, and cook on high for 3 – 3 1/2 hours.
10. Once the pudding has risen and the sauce is bubbling. remove from cooker. Carefully remove the foil and parchment paper, and invert pudding onto a plate at least 2 inches wider all around than the top of the container. Carefully remove the pudding bowl.
11. Serve your slow cooker sticky toffee apple pudding warm, in deep bowls with thick cream.

Apple-Nut Streusel Coffee Cake

This simple recipe is much tastier than its ingredient list might suggest: moist and perfectly balanced in sweetness and crunch. I have adapted it from a similar recipe on cooks.com, using a streusel I prefer, more cinnamon, fresh nutmeg and Demerara sugar in the dough. You could substitute any fresh, not-too-juicy fruit for the apples: pears, pitted cherries, etc. This lovely little cake will cut into 9 pieces but I can guarantee you everyone will want more than one.

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.

Peel, core and coarsely chop 1 large apple, set aside.

Grease a 9x9" cake pan.

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder (Backpulver)
1/2 tsp. baking soda (Natron)
1/4 tsp. salt
generous 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pre-ground nutmeg or several grinds fresh nutmeg
Stir together in medium bowl and set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together:
1/2 cup sugar (I used Demerara)
1 egg
1/4 cup oil (not olive)
1/2 tsp. vanilla or 1/2 pkt Vanillezucker
1/2 cup sour cream

How to make it:
Add the wet to the dry mixture and stir just until combined.
Spoon into the pan, spread evenly and top evenly with the apples.

Crumble Streusel Topping over this mixture:

2 TBS butter, cut into small bits
2 TBS flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt

Work all these ingredients together with your fingertips in a small bowl until it's crumbly.
Spread evenly over apples in pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven, or until cake is done and topping is lightly browned.
Best served warm or at room temperature, same day as baked.

Fettuccine with Shrimp and New Peas in White Wine Sauce

Simple, delicious and takes very little time. This recipe is rather heavily tweaked from one I found on Yahoo!Voices by Julie McMurchie. I simplified hers and changed some ingredients so I consider it "mine" now! I'll give you her options as well, but I found the end result as I made it to be well worth making again.


Ingredients:
    300-350g dried fettuccine (I used spinach fettuccine)
Sauce:
    2 TBS olive oil
    2 shallots, finely chopped
    1 cup dry white wine
    4 TBS cold butter in chunks
    1/2 Knorr or Maggi chicken soup cube
    4 tsp. fresh grated lemon peel
    Juice of two smallish lemons or 1 large juicy one
    Few grinds black pepper
    250 g raw shrimp or scampi
    200g fresh shelled peas
    2 TBS fresh dill, finely chopped or snipped

How to make it:
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Whenever it boils as you are making the sauce, put in pasta, add 1 TBS olive oil, and reduce heat just enough so it doesn't boil over. Give it a stir now and then while working on the sauce.

Saute the shallots in the olive oil over medium heat until it becomes soft, but don't let it brown --about 2 minutes.
Add the white wine, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about five minutes, or until it is reduced by half.
Crumble in chicken broth cube and stir.
Remove pan from heat, turn heat down to medium. While pan is off heat, add cold butter and allow to start melting.
Return to heat and cook, stirring, over medium low heat until the butter completely melts and incorporates. Remove from heat.
Now whisk in the lemon peel, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm until ready to use.

By this time the pasta should be almost done. In the last 3 minutes of boiling the pasta, place a strainer over or partly into the boiling water; fill with fresh peas and shrimp and steam only until peas are a bright green, shrimp are pink and pasta is al dente.
Drain pasta, peas and shrimp; return to pasta pot, add the snipped fresh dill and pour sauce over all, stirring well to coat the strands.
Serve immediately.

Julie strains the shallots from the sauce, omits the pepper and chicken cube (making the recipe too bland, in my opinion) and uses parsley rather than dill. If making the sauce on its own without shrimp or peas, that may be okay, but otherwise I'd strongly suggest using either dill or fresh basil.

Julie also says: This white wine sauce can be used as the basis for shrimp scampi. Make the sauce in a saute pan. Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and opaque. Remove the scampi to a serving plate and pour the remaining white wine sauce over the top. (In this case by all means use parsley. I can really see this sauce working well simply poured over broiled or grilled scampi!)

Cheater's Cassoulet

This is my simple, though admittedly time-consuming, version of a French country classic. My French brother-in-law, who grew up in the countryside, laughed when I asked him about the definitive version of cassoulet. I had read so many recipes requiring (to me) exotic ingredients such as smoked duck or goose. He told me that cassoulet means about the same as what an American means by casserole. Every region and even every family in a region has its own "definitive" recipe. The only constants are sausage, some kind of poultry, bacon and white beans in tomato sauce, though the duck or goose fat (if you can get it) really does make a difference to the richness of the flavor of the final product; so do use it if you possibly can. (If you're a low-fat advocate, just go away; you shouldn't be looking at this recipe anyway. 2 TBS of goose grease will not kill the 4-6 people this recipe feeds!!) This is a great way to recycle leftovers in such a way that all will clamor for more.


Ingredients:
2 TBS rendered duck, goose, chicken or bacon fat, or ghee (clarified butter)
6 chicken wings, OR 3 legs, OR 3 thighs, skin on (not breast meat)
1 smoked sausage of any kind (Kielbasa, cured Bratwurst), sliced 1/2" thick
2 slices bacon, sliced crosswise OR 2 TBS chopped pancetta
1 cup leftover cooked lamb, beef, pork or in a pinch even ham, in chunks
1 large or 2 small onions, chopped coarsely
2 cloves pressed (or finely chopped) garlic
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
Generous 1/2 cup red wine
1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes in juice
2 15-oz. cans white beans (do not drain liquid) --OR 1 can plain white beans and 1 can beans in tomato sauce
1/2 Knorr beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (if you have it)
Several grinds fresh black pepper
1 tsp. dried Herbes de Provence mixture OR
a goodly pinch each of dried rosemary, savory, and thyme
(Don't add salt --believe me, you will not need it!)

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 450°F/220°C.
Heat fat in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown chicken in it, turning to brown evenly, about 5-6 minutes (there is no need for meat to cook through, just get the skin browned).
Remove chicken with a slotted spoon to a deep oven-proof casserole.
In the remaining fat, sauté bacon or pancetta until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to chicken, along with the chunks of leftover meat.
Turn the heat down to medium. Now sauté chopped onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes, or until onions are transparent but not browned.
Add garlic and cook another minute.
Pour in red wine and stir well.
Add tomatoes, beans, and seasonings. Heat, stirring, until mixture just comes to a boil.
Pour it all over the meat in the casserole, and stir to combine.
Place casserole in hot oven. Close the door and turn the heat down to 325°F/160°C.
Bake, uncovered, for an hour. Stir and return to oven.
Bake another hour; stir, and return to oven. If it seems a bit dry, you may stir in up to 1/2 cup water.
(If you wish to top the cassoulet with buttered crumbs-- this is a common variation, but I find it overkill-- you may add them now.)
Bake one more hour. Remove from oven and allow to settle for 15 minutes before serving.

A green salad and crusty bread are great with this. It's even better the next day, warmed up, in the unlikely event some is left over.

Grated Carrot Salad, Austrian Style

This is a simple, delicious and nutritious way to use carrots, even those which have become a bit soft. Ready in 5 minutes and I have never met anyone who didn't like it.
This is not a sweet salad; the bit of sugar only helps to balances out the lemon juice, and the oil helps your body absorb the vitamins. You can experiment with adding raisins, dried cranberries, drained pineapple chunks, chopped nuts or any shredded veg you like, but I enjoy this salad just the way it is. An excellent side dish for grilled meats or really, almost anything else.


Ingredients:
3-4 medium-sized carrots
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
1/2 TBS vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. white sugar
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

How to make it:
Peel and grate the carrots into a medium mixing bowl. Do not drain if they are juicy.
In a cup, whisk together the fresh lemon juice, oil, and sugar; pour over carrots.
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir well.

Simple & Savory Artichoke Frittata

A frittata is like a crustless Italian version of quiche. It can be successfully made with many vegetables but is particularly fast and savory with a jar of artichoke hearts. Try it with quickly sautéed asparagus spears as a variation, using the same recipe. Serve as a main meal for brunch or cut into small wedges and serve at room temperature as an appetizer. Great with wine!


Ingredients:
1 8-oz. jar or can artichoke hearts in oil
1 small or 1/2 large onion, sliced OR 2 whole green onions, chopped coarsely
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 saltine crackers, crushed coarsely
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar or other flavorful cheese
6 large eggs
Generous pinch of Herbes de Provence seasoning
Few grinds black pepper
Dash salt

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving 1 TBS oil.
In a 12" cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions and garlic until soft but not browned.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in the artichokes, arranging evenly over the bottom of the skillet.
Sprinkle saltine crackers evenly over the hearts.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over the crackers.
Beat eggs together with Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper; pour evenly over mixture in skillet.
Bake at 375°F/190°C for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Eat warm as a brunch dish or at room temperature for appetizers.

Fluffy Vanilla Icing

This is really the best, fluffiest, most stable, buttery yet light icing I have found. I've adapted it from several similar recipes until I found my perfect fit. It makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes easily, to cover a 9x12" cake with excess, or to fill and frost a 9" cake generously.
You can vary the flavor by leaving out or substituting the vanilla extract, or adding to the finished product such things as crushed peppermint sticks, chopped nuts (in which case use 1 tsp vanilla), flaked coconut, or use your imagination.
It is best made with a stand mixer-- I used my fabulous Kitchenaid-- with the whip attachment. You will get a less fluffy result with a hand mixer, but it's still good, just increase the times necessary for beating.


Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
5 TBS all-purpose flour
2 tsp real vanilla extract
1 cup butter, room temperature, cut into chunks
3 cups powdered sugar, loosely spooned into measuring cup
Dash salt if butter is unsalted

How to make it:
In a small saucepan, combine milk and flour with a whisk, smoothing out all lumps.
Place over medium heat and cook, constantly whisking, until mixture thickens (about 7 minutes). It should be about as thick as heavy cake batter.
Whisk in the vanilla or other flavoring at this point.
With a spatula, spread this mixture evenly onto a plate; set in a cool place (not the refrigerator) to cool down to room temperature throughout.
While it's cooling, beat butter with powdered sugar until very light, fluffy, and there is no more "gritty" feeling to it; 3-5 minutes with a Kitchenaid, longer with a hand beater.
When the flour/milk mixture is completely cooled to room temperature, add it all at once to the butter mixture and beat 2-3 minutes longer, or until very smooth and fluffy.
Use immediately to frost cooled cake layers or cupcakes.
Keep any leftover icing in a covered container in the fridge. It will get harder when cold; bring it to room temperature again to spread easily. Will keep up to a week.