Conference turris::cooks

This is a little thing I "invented" from a regular custard recipe:

Melt 2 squares Baker's chocolate and mix in 2 cups milk.  
Beat in 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Pour into teacups (nobody has custard cups anymore), and put them into
a 1-2 inch water bath, in a deep roast pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour (sometimes a little longer).
What you get is some of the thickest chocolate pudding I've ever eaten!

Enjoy!
--Ruth

    Just make a regular baked custard, but put some grapenuts in the
    bottom of each custard cup first.  I like grapenut custard, too,
    but my husband doesn't (eggs upset his stomach), so I haven't made
    this for quite a while (also, he keeps taking the custard cups out
    of the kitchen nad using them as convenient containers for small
    items he is working with, like resistors, bolts,...so there are
    seldom more than a couple of them in the kitchen at any given time!).
    Incidentally, baked custard is a great job for a microwave oven,
    because you don't have to contend with custard cups floating in
    a dangerous pan of boiling water.  My microwave has a turntable,
    so I just line them up around the edge of the turntable.  A microwave
    cookbook would be a good place to look for a baked custard recipe.
    Don't forget to sprinkle nutmeg on top.

    		       	-*-<Grapenut Pudding>-*-
    
    1   qt. milk
    1/2 cup sugar
    1   Tsp. cinnamon
    1   Tsp. vanilla
    3   Tbl. butter
    4   eggs
    1   cup grapenuts
    1   pinch of salt
    
       Mix butter with sugar, cinnamon, salt. Add eggs and milk. Mix and
    add grapenuts and vanilla. 
    
    1/2 cup of raisins is a tasty option.
    
    Place mixture in cassarole dish. 
    Bake for one hour at 350
    
    It's delicious served warm with a scoup of vanilla ice cream.
    
    
    /gail

    1 Quart Milk
    4 Eggs - Beaten
    3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
    3/4 Cup Grapenuts
    2 Teaspoons Vanilla
    1/4 Teaspoon Salt
    1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
    
    Soak grapenuts and sugar in half of the milk for 15 minutes.
    Combine remaining ingredients and pour into a greased casserole.
    Place in a pan of water and bake uncovered for 1-1/2 hours at
    300 degrees F.
    
    It's done when knife inserted in center comes out clean.

    BEING THAT I WAS RAISED SOMEWHAT IN NORTH CAROLINA, MY GRANDMOTHER
    ALSO KNOWN AS "BIG MAMMA" USE TO MAKE A MEAN SWEET POTATOE PUDDING.
    BLESS HER POOR SOUL, SHE IS DECEASED NOW AND SO IS HER RECEIPE....
    
    I'VE TRIED SOME OF THE RECEIPES IN THE COOK BOOKS BUT THEY JUST
    DON'T HAVE THAT "SOUTHERN" TASTE. I ALSO MIGHT ADD THAT THE TEXTURE
    OF HER PUDDING WAS LIKE THAT OF A COARSE PUMPKIN PIE, ONLY THICKER.
    SHE USE TO SLICE IT ALMOST LIKE A PIECE OF CAKE AND IT WAS MADE
    IN A BREAD LOAF PAN..DOES ANYONE HAVE THIS RECEIPE..
    MIKE IN PHOENIX..
    

    Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I found it in Yvonne
    Young Tarr's Farmhouse Cookbook.  I haven't made it but everything
    else I've tried in this book has turned out wonderful.  The only
    other sweet potato dessert recipe I've tried is sweet potato pie,
    and I have a very good one from Gourmet magazine that turned out
    like a coarse pumpkin cheesecake and could probably be made in a bread
    pan.  If the one below doesn't do it for you let me know and I'll
    haul out my old Gourmets...!
    
    SWEET POTATO PUDDING
    --------------------
    
    2 lbs. sweet potatoes 		1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
    1 banana                            1/4 tsp. allspice
    3 tablespoons melted butter         1/4 tsp. ground aniseed
    3 eggs                              1/2 tsp. almond extract
    1 cup granulated sugar              1 cup buttered graham cracker
    1 cup milk   		           crumbs
    6 tablespoons molasses
    
    Scrub the sweet potatoes, place them in a saucepan, cover with water
    and boil until soft.  Drain, cool, peel, and mash the potatoes
    and place them in a large mixing bowl.  Mash the banana and add
    to the sweet potatoes, along with the melted butter and eggs.  Beat
    the mixture at low speed of an electric mixer until thoroughly blended.
    
    Stir in the sugar, milk, molasses, spices, and extract.  Beat until
    smooth.  Spread the graham cracker crumbs over the bottom and sides
    of a 10-inch pie plate.  Spoon the batter over the crumbs and bake
    at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours.  Cut into wedges and serve hot or
    cold with vanilla ice cream.  
                  

    OK, here's the pie recipe from Gourmet (March '73 issue, article
    on Low Country cooking).  Hope this comes closer than the other!
                    
    
    SWEET POTATO PIE
    ----------------
    
    Make your favorite 9-inch pie crust recipe (one crust), substituting
    1 tsp. sugar for the salt.  Roll out the dough and fit into a 9-inch
    pie tin, crimp the edges and chill it for one hour.
           
    Remove the pulp from 5 or 6 baked sweet potatoes and mash it.  There
    should be 2 cups pulp.  In a bowl cream together 2 sticks (1 cup)
    butter, softened, and 1 1/2 cups sugar until the mixture is fluffy.
     Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, the mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup
    whisky, the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, and 1/2 tsp. mace.
     Pour the mixture into the prepared shell and bake in the bottom
    third of a preheated hot oven (425 degrees) for 20 minutes.  Reduce
    the heat to 350 degrees, transfer the pie to the middle shelf, and
    bake for 40-45 minutes more, until the crust is browned and the
    filling is set.  Let the pie cool on a rack and sift confectioners'
    sugar over it.  
    

    Here it is as promised.
    
    In a large mixing bowl:
    
    beat 6 eggs
    add 2/3 cup of sugar
        1/4 t salt
        1 t vanilla
    
    in a sauce pan put 6 cups of milk and bring to a boil
    
    add milk to above mixture and beat.
    Set aside.
    
    butter a large pyrex bowl (pyrex -  because this is what you'll
    cook it in and it just seems to do better in a "glass" baking dish.)
              
    Add 1 cup grapenut flakes to bottom of bowl.
    Add 1/4 cup raisins to top of grapenut flakes in bowl.
    
    Going back to egg and milk mixture:
    
    Take 4 slices of white bread and break into medium size pieces.
    Add to mixture and let soak.
    
    Pour mixture into the pyrex bowl.
    
    If it looks like the mixture is almost too much for the bowl don't
    worry.  It will settle during baking.
    
    Bake at 325 degrees for approx. 50 minutes.  It may require longer
    depending on your oven.  If you look at it at the 50 minute mark check
    for the texture of the custard. If you shake it and it moves like
    a pudding it's done, if not, cook a little longer but not longer
    than 20 minutes.  
    
    Let cool on top of stove then cool in refrigerator.  Just before
    serving top with fresh whipped cream.
    
    Hope these instructions are decipherable.  Enjoy!!!
    
     

		CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Please note:  no suet, and no special "pudding mold" required for this
beauty.

Equipment needed:

	Either a double boiler or a large crock pot with a heavy pot
	or dish narrow enough to fit in the crock pot.

	If using the double boiler, line the top part of the double
	boiler with aluminum foil and butter the foil well.  Make
	sure there is enough foil left over to fold back down the
	sides so you will be sure not to get any batter between
	the foil and the pan...You can oil the pan before you put
	in the foil if you wish.

	If using a crock pot, fill approx 1/3 full with hot water and
	start heating on high... oil heavy pan or dish, line with
	foil and butter liberally.

Ingredients:

	1 cup raw potato, grated fine
	1 cup raw carrot, grated fine
	1 stick margarine, softened (you can use butter if you wish)
	1 cup flour
	1 cup sugar (or 2/3 cup fructose)
	1 cup raisins
	1 cup currants (optional but nice)
	1 cup dried pineapple, chopped fine and soaked in 1/4
		cup dark rum
	1 teaspoon cinnamon
 	1/2 teaspoon cloves
	1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
	1/2 teaspoon salt (may cut to 1/4 if you use salted margarine)
	2 tablespoons milk
	1/2 teaspoon vinegar
	1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

place pineapple in bowl, and pour over rum...set aside for approx. 30
minutes or more.

Add vinegar to milk, then add baking soda, set aside.

Mix all other ingredients including pineapple and rum, then add milk
mixture and mix well.

place in container and :

	cook over simmering water in double boiler approx. 3 hours
	or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.  Keep
	a pot of water simmering on stove to add boiling water to
	double boiler as required.

				or

	Pour into heavy dish or pan, cover pan with buttered foil
	and tie foil on pan and place in crock pot with water to
	come up at least half of the depth of the dish.  Cook on
	high at least 6 hours or until tested done.

Serve warm with hard sauce:

	mix 1 softened stick of butter or margarine with powdered
	sugar and 2 oz. of dark rum to consistency of cake
	icing...chill and serve with warm christmas pudding.

and non-alcoholic spiced cider:

	heat apple cider with several tea bags of cinnamon-based
	herbal tea and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve with cinnamon
	stick stirs.

	.... and now for a version that does require suet and pudding mold.. 8-)


		Steam Pudding-Date Dumpling

	1 cup flour			1 cup coarse bread crumbs
	1 1/2 tsp baking powder		1/2 lb. chopped dates
	1/2 tsp cinnamon		1 egg
	1/2 tsp cloves			3/4 cup ground suet
	1/2 tsp allspice		3/4 cup sugar
	1/4 tsp nutmeg			(chopped fruited peels or cherries-
					 if desired)

	Mix with about 1 cup milk.  Have all milk absorbed.  Pour in a
	greased pudding or brown bread mold.  Steam about 2 1/2 hours.
	Serve with sweetened whipped cream, or hard sauce.

	This is always served in our families for Thanksgiving and
	Christmas.  My grandmother said as a child this was served
	instead of birthday cake in her family.

							Seasons Greetings..

							Charlie...
	

    I fixed a box of the instant Pistachio Pudding that Jello puts out,
    and I could never get it to thicken up.  So, I bought another box
    and it did the same way.  It was like soup instead of pudding. 
    Could humidity affect this as the humidity has been terribly high
    here recently?  Any suggestions????

    
    
    I've seen two kinds of instant pudding, the kind you cook on the
    stove, and the kind you only add cold milk and stir. What kind
    did you buy?
    
    bd

    INSTANT pudding is the kind you add cold milk to and stir.  If you
    have to cook it, it is not considered instant!!  Therefore, I had
    the kind you add cold milk to and stir...i.e. INSTANT pudding!!
    ;-)

Bad pudding mix...if you used the correct amount of milk to the mix, you cannot
fail with this one, it's too simple.  Go to another store and pick up another
box of pudding mix....add milk to bowl FIRST, then stir in pudding mix.  It
should work.

I've had this happen once but tried a second time and it worked fine...I
figure the mixture was defective.

    re .3
    
    Thanks!!  I figured that by buying another box, it would solve the
    problem, but I did buy it at the same store and it could have very
    possibly been from the same lot as the first box.  I may just wait
    and buy some again in a few weeks.  BTW, I did put the milk in the
    bowl first and it was 2 cups as the directions called for.  The
    first time it flopped, I thought I might have put too much milk
    in it, so the second time, I MADE SURE I had the right amount and
    it also flopped!!
    

     
                           < Pudding Soup >
    
    What did you stir the pudding with?  Try using a hand beater or
    wire whisk, if the pudding insn't mixed well enough it may not
    thicken correctly.

    Also, be sure the milk is cold, and I don't think humidity would
    affect it seeing the pudding is kept in the refrige (which also
    helps the thickening process).
    
    Good Luck!
    

    I have the same problem with "Whipping cream".  To help it out,
    I put the bowl and beaters in the freezer for a few minutes to get
    everything good and cold.  I've done it with instant puddings also
    (chocolate) and it worked fine.  Worth a try...
    
    Sarah
    

    re .6 
    I used an electric hand mixer, so I feel it got mixed up good enough!!
    
    re .7
    The milk was real cold and I put it in the Fridge.  That's why I
    thought the humidity might have something to do with it.  Maybe
    .9's suggestion to putting everything in the freezer for a few minutes
    is what I need to do.
    
    re .8  
    I did seriously think of writing to Jello and asking them what the
    problem is if it continues happening!!!!
    
   

    Do write!  Usually you'll get a nice letter back, plus a slew
    of coupons.  Makes you feel that there's someone who cares in
    the middle of the huge conglomerates.
    
    --Louise

    re: .10
    
    I think the problem lies with the electric mixer.  You shouldn't
    use electric mixers for pudding.  If I remember correctly the box
    says to hand mix (i.e. wire whip or hand beater)  Try it and see
    if that makes a difference.
    

    re .12
    
    I'll read a box and make sure, but I THINK it says you can blend
    at the lowest speed of electric mixer.  I've ALWAYS used electric
    mixers before!!  I'll look though just to make sure!!!
    
    Thanks

	It must have been a bad batch/lot. I make the low-calorie 
	instant pudding often. I put 2 cups skim milk in blender
	then the mix and then just turn it on low for 1-2 minutes
	and pour into containers. It is almost set before I move it 
	into the fridge. I made some Monday eve with no problems.

	Rachelle 
	

    Using and electric mixer on the lowest speed is what I always use
    and it also says you can do that on the box.
    
    Your pudding floping may have something to do with the heat and
    humidity.  Cause the last batch I made started to get really 
    mushy as soon as it was taking out of fridg. it was really hot
    out.  So the heat could be part of the problem.
    
    
    Sandy D.
    

    My Mom absolutely loves grapenut pudding/custard, so I thought I'd
    try making some for her.  I used a combination of the recipes in
    .2 and .3, but I have a couple of questions.  First, are the grapenuts
    supposed to lump on the bottom (Never having had this type before,
    I didn't know if I had messed up or not), and secondly, can it be
    made with skim milk and ess substitutes?  Mom is watching her
    cholesterol, so I don't want to overload her by trying to make her
    a nice surprise treat! 
    
    Sarah
    

    DIET GRAPENUT PUDDING
    
    1/3 c grapenuts
    2 eggs
    2/3 c non-fat dry milk
    2 pkgs Sweet & Lo
    1 tsp vanila
    1 1/2 c hot water
    
    Mix hot water & milk powder in a mixing bowl.
    Add remainder of ingredients, stirring wel.
    Pour into non-stick loaf pan & bake @350 for 40 minutes or until
    blade of knife comes out clean.
    
    I made this a long time ago and it was very good.
    
    Jeannie

    We had this for dessert Friday night.  It was easy to make and
    delicious.
    
                             CARAMEL CUSTARD
    
    1 cup granulated sugar
    3/4 cup water
    2 cups whole milk
    2 eggs
    2 egg yolks
    
    Combine 3/4 cup sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium
    heat.  Dissolve the sugar, stirring occasionally.  when the liquid is
    clear, turn the heat up to high and boil the syrup hard until the color
    starts to turn amber.  You can tell when the caramelization process is
    about to begin as the bubbles become ominously quiet.
    
    As soon as the syrup reaches an amber about 2 shades lighter than you
    really want, remove the pan from the heat and set the bottom of the pan
    in cold water to stop the cooking.  the syrup will continue to darken
    as you do this, so it will reach the desired color.  Pour the syrup
    into the bottom of 6 oven-safe custard cups and immediately swirl the
    caramel around the base and halfway up the sides to coat the cups.  Set
    aside.
    
    Preheat the oven to 325.
    
    Heat the milk to scalding.  Whisk the eggs, yolks, and remaining 1/4
    cup sugar till blended, then whisk inthe hot milk.  Strain the custard
    mixture into the caramel-lined custard cups and set the cups into a
    roasting pan or a 13x9 inch baking pan.  Fill pan with warm water
    halfway up the sides of the custard cups.
    
    Set in preheated oven and cover lightly with a sheet of foil.  Bake for
    25 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of a custard
    comes out clean.  the custards may still be a bit wobbly but will
    continue to set up as they cool.
    
    remove from the oven and the water bath and allow to cool to room
    temperature.  Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
    
    To serve:  Run a knife around the edge of each cup to release the
    custard, and invert onto a serving dish. the caramel sauce will pour
    over the top.  If there is any caramel left inthe cup, a few drops of
    boiling water will melt it to make more sauce.  Serve custards at room
    temperature with a garnish of sweetened whipped cream.  Makes 6
    servings.
    
    Notes:
    
    When pouring the caramel into the custard cups, work very quickly. 
    Once the caramel is removed from the heat, it takes it only a few
    seconds to become the consistency of a brick.
    
    Clean the caramel pan with very hot water, either from the tap, or
    boiling water in the pan on the stove.
    
    when custards are cooling, put a little saran wrap over the surface to
    keep a skin from forming.
    
    The recipe calls for sweetened whipped cream. We served ours instead
    with two small (1/8 cup each) scoops of vanilla bean ice cream on the
    plate beside the custard.  It was very good.

    
    	Please Help!  I made a stirred custard last night and
    	it did not thicken!  It's been in the fridge overnight
    	and is still very soupy.  Is there something I can do
    	with it to stiffen it up?  
    
    	The recipe was:  3 slightly beaten eggs, 1/4 c. sugar,
    	2 c. milk, dash salt.  Cook over medium heat in saucepan,
    	stirring until a metal spoon is coated, (THIS MUST BE 
    	WHERE I FAILED TO LET IT COOK LONG ENOUGH).  Cool 
    	immediately by placing pan in sink of ice water.  Stir
    	for 2 minutes then add 1 tsp. of vanilla.  Stir, and 
    	transfer custard into glass bowl.  Saran wrap the top and
    	refrigerate until serving time.
    
    	PLEASE - I need this custard for tonight!  If anyone has
    	any ideas I will be most grateful...  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
    
     	Regards,	
    	Nancy 

    Trying putting it back in the pan and cooking again -
    This has worked for me for regular pudding.  A microwave
    might do the job quicker - glass bowl, nuke it, stir, turn
    bowl, nuke, etc.  
    
    Good luck!!!

    
    	You may have cooked it too much already.  I was making a special
    dessert last Christmas, and kept cooking the custard because it hadn't
    thickened.  It never did.  When I went back and reread the recipe, I
    did in fact cook it too long.
    	Linda

    If all else fails, add some dissolved gelatin to it...

    Add another egg yolk or add a small amount  (1/8 teaspoon) corn starch, 
    and cook some more.
    
    					andrew

probable cause is OVERcooking....you can tell if the custard texture is
sorta "grainy" when you examine it closely....that is the bits of cooked
egg.  To fix - no real way, but you can fix up a quick substitute by
making an "quick" stirred custard.  Add a tablespoon of cornstarch to
just enough of the milk in your recipe to make a paste.  Gradually stir
in the rest of the milk and stir to smooth it.  Add the sugar and heat
over low temp, stirring all the time, until it begins to thicken.  
Remove from heat, stir a tablespoon of the hot mixture into well beaten
egg/egg yolk.  Stir the egg yolk mixture back into hot mixture, stirring 
constantly.  Heat briefly (a minute or 2 at most) over low heat, stirring 
constantly, just to remove the "raw egg" taste.  Remove from heat, stir 
in vanilla. set pan in cold/ice water to cool off immediately.  cover 
surface with plastic wrap and chill.

The cornstarch will thicken the custard.

This is probably too late to help the author of the base note, but the Joy of
Cooking also mentions that if the custard is covered before it has cooled
enough the result is soupy custard. I don't remember the exact wording but
the idea is that if the custard is still letting off steam, the steam gets
"locked in", condenses back into water and prevents the custard from thickening.

I learned this the hard way - when I went to find out why *my* custard turned
soupy...

 - Naomi

    This happened to me a long time ago, and I also needed ASAP....so I
    froze it and served a frozen custard with a fruit sauce.  The guests
    loved it, and never knew it was a flop!
    

Serves 4

3 Tbs butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
6 Tbs flour
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 cup milk, lukewarm
Grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks,
flour, lemon juice and zest.  Mix.  Add milk and mix just until smooth.  Beat
egg whites until stiff.  Fold into pudding mixture.  Pour into 4 ungreased 
individual ceramic or glass dishes.  Sprinkle with nutmeg.  Arrange dishes
in baking pan.  Fill with hot water to a depth of 1 inch.  Bake for 30 to 35 
minutes.  

    I lost my recipe for Grapenut Pudding -- it was made with lemon juice
    and some rind, and it made a lemony custard on the bottom with a puffy
    top to it (the egg whites were whipped separately and then folded into
    the rest of the mixture).  For a while, there was a reasonable
    facsimile on the Grape Nuts box, but I haven't seen it lately.
    
    Does anyone know the recipe I am talking about?  My grandmother used
    to make it.
    
    Thanks,
    Ginny

    Has anyone heard of custard powder?  The brand that was recommended
    in a particular recipe was Birds.  Could custard powder be the same
    as custard pudding?
    
    Thanks for any info.
    
    Flo

    
    Custard powder is instant (sort of) custard mix.  Birds is a brand name
    that is  especially good.  It's available in the UK, but the only
    places in the US that seem to carry it are import stores and specialty
    shops. (Union Jack in Peabody, Alpen Pantry in Burlington for
    instance.)
    
    Depending on what you're making and how authentic you want to be, you
    can substitute, or you can make the custard from scratch.  The trifle
    note gives some suggestions for substitutes for custard powder.
    
    dm

    Either Market Basket or Alexanders in Nashua, NH carries Birds mix. 
    It's in a yellow/orange box which has 4 envelopes inside.

It comes out more like a sauce (thick liquid) than a pudding (gelatinous solid).
I've seen it in a few grocery stores. 

    I was in a restaurant that offered Farina Custard on the menu.  It
    was soooooo delicious that I asked the owner for the recipe.  I was
    told that they didn't give out recipes.  It was probably a standard
    custard recipe with some farina tossed in.  Has anyone heard of a
    recipe such as this?
    Thanks,
    Nancy

    There's something like it in Joy of Cooking... I've made it for
    breakfast a few times when I woke up with my sweet tooth already
    awake before me.
    
    --L

My mother used to have this recipe but it has faded into the mists of 
time ... does anyone know how to make this? A recipe would be greatly 
appreciated!!

Thanks,
Sheridan
:^)

    I'm an expat American living in Britain and I just can't find anything
    that compares to cooked American pudding; Chocolate, Butterscotch, and
    Vanilla.  

    Does anyone have a recipe that makes a good cornstarch pudding as good
    as boxed ones?  I'm dying for a bowl of cooked Chocolate Pudding!  You
    know the kind that gets a skin on it when you cool it!! ;-)

    RE:  .45
    
    What you want is usually called a blanc mange, at least in American
    cookbooks.
    
    It's basically just a thick white sauce made with cornstarch, as you
    correctly deduced.  Sorry I don't recall the technique.
    
    For the chocolate flavor, I recommend using melted semi-sweet baking
    chocolate, or bitter chocolate and lots of sugar.
    
    L
    

    Cornstarch pudding is really easy to make - this recipe is from my
    junion high school cooking class!
    
    3T cornstarch
    1/3 c sugar
    (1/2 t salt)
    2 c milk
    1 t vanilla
    ( 1 1/2 oz chocolate)
    
    Combine starch, sugar, and optional salt.
    Gradually add milk.
    Heat to boiling, boil 2 minutes.
    Add vanilla and optional chocolate.
    Mold, chill until firm.
    
    Makes two cups of pudding.
    This is also good with grated coconut in it.
    
    /Charlotte

    What's the recipe for butterscotch pudding?  I've looked in a lot of
    places for it and can't figure out how to do it.
    
    thanks
    

    Leave out most of the vanilla, use brown sugar in place of white sugar,
    and add a little bit of melted butter.
    
    /Charlotte

    I experimented with butterscotch over the weekend - it came out great -
    this is what I did:

    I used the recipe already posted as far as proportions - I started by
    melting 1 TBS butter and added brown sugar - I cooked and stirred this
    until the sugar turned to caramel - I then added the milk (which
    hardened the sugar but it will melt again so don't worry) - cook until
    the milk is hot and all the sugar has melted again - add the cornstarch
    mixed with a little of the milk from the measured two cups and the
    vanilla - cook and stir as per the instructions given in an earlier
    note.

MELBOURNE HEALTH ALERT!

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Latin name: Stickius deliciosus) is a virulent 
virus that found its way to Melbourne on the back of badly cleaned 
cutlery previously used in Sydney bistros. It was quick to take hold in 
Melbourne and was every bit as devastating as it had been for the past 
four or five years in Sydney ... it seemed no-one was immune to it. 
Outbreaks of other minor forms of the virus (e.g. steamed chocolate 
pudding, golden syrup pudding, warm date pudding etc) have also been 
reported at some of our more notable restaurants. Fortunately during the 
warmer summer months, the virus cannot breed as easily and its effects 
are considerably reduced.

It was first discovered at Anne Parmentier's 'The Clareville Kiosk' by 
[three other notable Sydney restauranteurs] Greg Doyle (Greg Doyle's 
Eastside Bar & Grill), his brother Peter (Le Trianon), Mark Armstrong 
(Armstrong's Brasserie) and their wives... the occasion is now widely 
known in gastronomic circles as "The Night Mark Armstrong Had Two 
Desserts" ...

Anne Parmentier [was identified] as the source of a decade of public 
disturbance.  ... Sticky Toffee Pudding [in Australia] emanated from a 
1982 issue of the British Food magazine A La Carte. It headlined a 
feature called Cholesterol Corner and immediately appealed to Parmentier. 
She explained that she's not a formally trained cook, and that 
sophisticated colleagues thought her very naive when she put it on the 
menu at The Clareville Kiosk. Then all hell broke loose.

Greg Doyle said that the secret of a great Sticky Pudding is to use 
California Dates. Mark Armstrong said that the secret of eating two is to 
dilute them with lashings of double cream.  ...

	 [ extensive extract from Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine, 
						    February 1993 issue ]

RECIPE

Pudding								    Sauce
-------								    -----
170g dates, pitted and chopped				 200g brown sugar
1tp bicarbonate of soda				      1/2 cup thick cream
60g butter						      130g butter
170g caster sugar				  1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
170g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Grease 18 x 28 cm tin (18 x 18 will also do)
Pour 300ml of water over the dates in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove 
from heat, add soda and leave to stand.
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each 
addition.
Gently fold in flour, stir in date mixture and vanilla and pour into 
prepared tin.
Bake in the centre of a 160C oven for 30-40 minutes or til cooked when 
tested with a skewer.

Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and 
simmer for 3 minutes. Pour a little of the sauce over the warm pudding, 
return to the oven for 2-3 minutes so that the sauce soaks in and bubbles 
to a golden brown colour. 

Cut pudding into squares and pass the extra sauce separately. 
							     Serves 8-10.

    I'm looking for a good recipe for French custard - Blanc Mange-  I
    tried the cornstarch pudding in .47 and it was not quite right.

    Creme Souffle
    
    27 fluid oz milk
    1 tablespoon good quality instant coffee
    2 tablespoon crystalized caramel
    3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
    1/2 teaspoon powdered vanilla
    5 eggs
    4+3/4 oz castor sugar
    
    1. Put coffee, cocoa, caramel and vanilla in a saucepan.  Mix together
    and pour the milk in gradually, stirring all the time.  Place over low
    heat but do not allow to boil.
    
    2. Break 1 egg into another saucepan.  Separate the remaining 4 eggs,
    reserving the whites in a large bowl.  Add the yolks to the whole egg
    in the saucepan.  Sprinkle in the sugar and beat till the yolks lighten
    in colour.  Pour in the flavoured milk, stirring continuously.
    
    3. Place over low heat without boiling and cook, stirring all the time. 
    When the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon,,
    remove from the heat.
    
    4. Strainthe custard through a fine sieve.  Beat he egg whites until
    stiff and fold into the warm custard, beating well until the mixture is
    smooth and light.
    
    5. Leave to cool and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour
    before serving.
    
    
    Creme Brulee (not for the faint hearted or diet conscious)
    Make the day before serving.
    
    1+3/4 pints double cream
    2 eggs
    10 egg yolks
    4 oz castor sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla essence
    
    Caramel : 4 tablespoon castor sugar
    
    1. Set oven to 350 F.  Break 2 whole eggs into a bowl and add the 10
    yolks, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the cream.  Put the rest of the
    cream in a saucepan over low heat and heat until it "shivers"; do not
    let it boil.
    
    2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the sugar on to the eggs, beating well until it
    lightens in colour and froths.
    
    3. Pour the warm cream over the eggs and sugar mixture, a little at a
    time, beating continuously.  Then strain through a fine sieve into an
    oven proof dish (9-1/2 inches in diameter)
    
    4. Place the dish in a bain-marie and cook in the oven for approx. 45
    minutes, or until the blade of a knife comes out clean.  make sure the
    water in the bain-marie does not boil over, otherwise the eggs may
    curdle.
    
    5. When it is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.  Leave at
    the top of the refrigerator overnight.
    
    The next day, 10 minutes before serving, heat the grill.  Place some
    ice cubes in the grill pan and place the dish of creme brulee on top of
    ice.  Sprinkle the sugar over the creme and place under the grill. 
    When the sugar has caramelized (about 3 to 4 minutes), remove from the
    grill and bring to the table.
    
    Alternatively, return the dish to the refrigerator and allow the
    caramel to harden, like a pane of glass, before serving.
    
    bon appetite
    
    Joyce
    
    place under the grill.