Hello again, and welcome to my blog! I do not know about you…but toffee, apples, pumpkin, and cinnamon “scream” autumn to me. Seeing as autumn has arrived at my blog, I wanted to incorporate one of those seasonal ingredients into my post. Therefore, this week, I decided to feature an iconic English dessert that has toffee as its main ingredient. Any ideas as to what this delicacy may be- before reading the next line?
Well, if you guessed sticky toffee pudding, then you would be correct. Sticky toffee pudding is high on my list of English favorites and must try treats.
If you like tantalizing toffee and moist cake, then this recipe my friend- is for you. Join me, and my homeschool crew, as I teach my four eager pupils how to make a traditional, English sticky toffee pudding.
~Sticky Toffee Pudding Verses Caramel~
Before we begin, I suppose we should take a moment to examine the differences of toffee and caramel. In America, we often use these two words in an interchangeable fashion. While similar, the confections are subtly different. Toffee and caramel feature slightly different ingredients, cooking methods, and cooking times… yet they are easily confused.
Now this is a tricky one to explain. As I understand it, toffee is most often served in the form of a hard candy. However, a toffee sauce- which is generally used for pouring over desserts and cakes- is not hard and brittle …but instead, smooth and creamy. A toffee sauce is made with butter, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla (or some variation of). Toffee is actually in the family of butterscotch. Whereas caramel can be created by heating white sugar to its melting point (where it browns).
Toffee sauce has a buttery, rich taste. Caramel sauce tends to be a thinner consistency (but can be cooked for longer periods to create a chewy texture).
I imagine a few bits of brittle toffee crumbled on top of the sticky toffee pudding would be a delightful addition to the tradition. Perhaps, I will try this another time.
~English Eclairs: My First "Almost" Toffee~
England does many foods well. One of my favorite English treats is English toffee. On my second visit to England (when my husband and I were dating), I was introduced to an English candy called Eclairs. Eclairs are made by Cadbury and are an addictive treat. They are actually classed as a chewy caramel (I believe, although I have seen some sources call them toffee?). Inside of the caramel/toffee, is a bit of milk chocolate. While maybe not technically toffee, it felt fitting to mention these delectable little sweets as they are just too good not too. If you get a chance to sample any of these…do!
When my husband and I lived in England, we often shopped at an Aldi that was located in the Cotswolds. This particular Aldi sold a lovely toffee- that I often craved when I was pregnant with our first daughter.
Obviously, I enjoy toffee- so when I discovered the iconic English sticky toffee pudding- it was no wonder that this dessert made it to the top of my must try list.
~Enter the Sticky Toffee Pudding~
In England the restaurant scene is a bit different to America- where there are literally hundreds of fast-food options to choose from. Many English meals are served in the local village pubs. These village pubs are often ancient on the outside and have a lovely warm and welcoming feel on the inside. Families gather here and it is not uncommon to see a well-behaved dog, lying in front of a roaring fire, in the middle of the pub.
I can still remember the first time I read sticky toffee pudding on a pub menu. Naturally, I was intrigued and excited to try it. In particular, I also recall my father-in-law, as well as all the family in England, ordering a sticky toffee pudding from a pub at some point in my two-year stay. So, I guess you could say… that this sticky toffee pudding post is written in honor of them. (Hello English Family!)
~The Taste of Sticky Toffee Pudding~
Let me first describe the flavors of sticky toffee pudding to any who may be unfamiliar with this delightful treat. Hmm, let me think of as many descriptive words as I can. And go… sticky toffee pudding is moist, sticky, sweet, smooth, buttery, warm, rich, indulgent, and decadent. The whole cake is delicious, but it is the toffee topping that truly steals the spotlight. When the warm toffee topping, meets the cold vanilla ice cream, it hardens slightly- creating a lovely candy-like, chewy bite.
On cold, drizzly, English nights- a treat like sticky toffee pudding literally “sticks” to your ribs and gives you comfort and happiness. Even after a large pub meal, you will somehow find a space in your tummy to fit at least a wee bite of warm sticky toffee pudding.
~How Sticky Toffee Pudding is Made in My American Kitchen~
Now hopefully, I have spent enough time convincing you of the merit of sticky toffee pudding. So, without further ado, let us jump right into the kitchen. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of tea, and make yourself comfortable- and away we go!
After instructing my four eager pupils to wash their hands, we begin gathering our ingredients. Lying our ingredients out all together on the countertop (“down-der-top” as my littlest says), allows us to be a bit more efficient in our task. If “efficiency” in the kitchen, with four little children, even exists.
~Homemade Golden Syrup~
Perhaps, you are interested in making your own golden syrup? See my post on that here. Otherwise, you can sometimes find Lyle’s Golden Syrup in the international British section of a Publix grocery store.
~The Proof Is in the Pudding~
~The Toffee Topping~
~Decorative Accents to Accompany the Pudding~
Every good cake needs a bit of glamor to go with it. That is why I decided to add a few flashy bits. I own two gravy boats (one I shared in this post about Eve’s Pudding), the other is pictured below. Both gravy boats where thrift store finds.
As I have said before, it is always good to be aware that some vintage and antique dinnerware items are known to have lead paint in them. (Therefore, if you have little ones, it is good to be mindful of this fact.)
However, I still like to appreciate the beauty of a sauce- served in a luxurious bit of “extra”- cue the gravy boat. A little collection of these does not go amiss in a kitchen or display hutch. When I can, I pick these up for just a few dollars at a thrift store.
Another thrift store find was this silver cake server. When these silver items are spotted in a thrift store, they are often a dark color and very tarnished. However, if they are real silver (or even silver plated), they will polish up beautifully. Little touches can make serving a cake extra luxurious.
~Now Let Us "Plate Up"~
When it comes to serving toffee topping sauce- there are some who like to drizzle- and some who like to douse. Whichever camp you find yourself in, be our guest. I actually prefer to douse my sticky toffee pudding cake, but for the sake of my photograph, I opted to drizzle. My dessert plate was made in England, and I love it. (For, if you look closely on the flower basket, you can see, a tiny heart. (Of course, hearts are some of my favorite things.)
~Sticky Toffee Pudding on a Countertop- a Warm Welcome Indeed! ~
You would be hard pressed to find something more comforting than a cake, in a cloche, on a countertop. Not only does the cake look delicious, but if you have an unexpected guest stop by on a Saturday afternoon, then you have a piece of cake ready to be offered. Then, as every English person would know, you just need a cuppa tea to go alongside it.
A sweet Saturday indeed!
~An Autumn Bunting Flag~
If you are a regular blog reader, you will know that I enjoy making seasonal bunting flags. (See my post on how I make them right here.) Bunting flags are an easy decorative accent that add color and warmth to many spaces. My time living in England introduced me to bunting flags and I have been a fan ever since.
These autumn bunting flags were made with vintage lace and scraps of cream-colored fabrics. I put these together with items I had on hand. Not wanting to limit my creativity, I like to use the bunting in multiple ways around the house. On the fireplace mantel, across the skirt of a table, on a table as a centerpiece… to name but a few ideas.
For a bit of fun, I also added some more of my glitter, spray-painted autumn leaves that the children and I gathered from the backyard. It was an “un-be-leaf-ably” easy project to do. (As I just pinned the leaves on temporarily. This way they can be easily removed when they begin to turn brown.)
~A Homemade Candle~
A previous post shared how I bought a wooden, heart shaped bowl from a thrift store. I stripped the bowl and added a lighter wax to it- to suit my personal tastes. After this, I then used soy wax and some fragrance oil to turn the bowl into a lovely candle. One last touch was to add some of my dried flowers.
However, to simply change the look of the homemade candle, I decided to remove the dried flowers. Only to replace them with some of my glitter sprayed, autumn leaves for a festive touch. (Of course, being mindful of flammability!)
~Until Next Time~
Well, it looks like this brings us to the end of another blog post. Thank you for reading along!
I will conclude by saying, if you are going to make any English recipe- sticky toffee pudding is highly recommended as a must try dessert. Afterall, Thanksgiving is coming up soon, and sticky toffee pudding would be a lovely autumn addition to the thanksgiving table. Just an idea.
Speaking of ideas, I will most certainly be thinking of some new ideas to share with you all in my upcoming post (featuring a logical, thoughtful, English recipe). Any guesses?
I hope to see you all again next Friday…goodbye for now.
~Elizabeth~
What a truly beautiful post. I long to indulge in a taste of a sticky, toffee pudding! The fall and English china touches are lovely too.
Thank you for your support and encouragement, you are very kind, Julie! I appreciate you taking the time to read and enjoy. 🙂