Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Puddings For Two Recipes

WARM PUMPKIN STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING WITH VANILLA CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the middle. Butter a 12-cup muffin pan, if not nonstick.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, allspice and cloves in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter with the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Divide the batter into the muffin pan. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack.
• Slice the muffins horizontally into three pieces. Place a tablespoon of the Cranberry Caramel Sauce between each layer, finishing with a large spoon of the Vanilla Cream and a sprinkle of dried cranberries.
• In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help the sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook the caramel without stirring, gently swirling the pan until deep golden, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the cream and butter (the mixture will vigorously steam and the caramel will harden). Return to the heat and simmer, stirring, until the caramel is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the dried cranberries.
• Beat the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until firm peaks forms.

STICKY TOFFEE PUMPKIN PUDDING

Steps:

• For Cake:Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated.
• Reduce speed to low, and add half the flour mixture, beating until combined. Add pumpkin, beat, and then add remaining flour mixture, and beat until just combined. (Do not over-mix.) Stir in vanilla and brandy. Transfer batter to dish, and bake until cake is puffed and springs back in center when gently pressed with a finger, and a toothpick comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. The texture will be much moister than a regular cake, but the toothpick should still come out clean. (Think more like a cheesecake).
• For Sauce: Meanwhile, combine butter, sugar, brandy and cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium (so sauce does not boil over) and boil, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and darkens slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Remove cake from oven and pierce holes at 1-inch intervals to bottom of cake with a wooden skewer. Pour HALF of hot sauce over cake and let soak 20 minutes. Serve warm with remaining sauce.
• If You're Planning to Serve the Cake Later: Cake soaked in sauce and remaining toffee sauce can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day. Before serving, warm cake in a 300 degrees oven 10 minutes, and warm the sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat.

INDIVIDUAL STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKES FOR TWO OR FOUR

Steps:

• For the pudding cakes:
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour four 4-ounce ramekins and line bottom of each with round of parchment paper cut to fit.
• Set prepared ramekins in deep-side baking or roasting pan lined with clean dish towel.
• Bring kettle or large saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
• Combine half of dates with water and baking soda in glass measuring cup (dates should be submerged beneath water) and soak for 5 minutes.
• Drain dates, reserving liquid, and transfer to medium bowl.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in another medium bowl.
• Process remaining dates and brown sugar in food processor until just blended, about five 1-second pulses.
• Add reserved soaking liquid, eggs, and vanilla and process until smooth, about 5 seconds.
• With food processor running, pour melted butter through feed tube in steady stream.
• Transfer this mixture to bowl with softened dates.
• Gently stir dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined and date pieces are evenly dispersed.
• Distribute batter evenly among prepared ramekins.
• Fill roasting pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of ramekins, making sure not to splash water into ramekins.
• Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, crimping edges to seal.
• Bake pudding cakes until puffed and small holes appear on surface, about 40 minutes.

PUMPKIN STICKY TOFFEE PUDDINGS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (8-ounce) ramekins or a small, shallow gratin dish with a 2- to 3-cup capacity (see Note).
• Prepare the puddings: In a large, heatproof bowl, combine the dates, butter, lemon zest and baking soda. Stir in the boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes or until cool.
• Whisk in pumpkin purée, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves and fine sea salt until well combined, then whisk in the flour.
• Scrape batter into the prepared ramekins and bake until just firm when pressed in the center, 28 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack until ready to serve. (Pudding can be baked up to 8 hours ahead.)
• Prepare the sauce: In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the sugar, pumpkin puree, heavy cream and salt. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter, and bourbon (if using). If the sauce separates, use an immersion or regular blender to blend it together.
• Just before serving, heat the broiler. Pour a little of the sauce over each pudding. Broil until the puddings bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt, and serve at once, with more sauce and crème fraîche dolloped on top.