Fail-safe dinner party puddings

Debt_Free_Chick

lynzpower wrote:

this one look lovely
bu where do you get liquid glucose?

theres always something fancy in delias recipes that I dont have in, I do struggle to get on with her sometimes

I promise that if you follow the instructions, it will turn out to be spectacular.

I made two a couple of weeks ago. Made them a week in advance and put them in the freezer. They were gorgeous and everyone was overwhelmed by them. It only takes about 20 mins to make and then you can forget about it until you come to serve it. And you only need to add single cream or creme fraiche to serve. It's very rich, so the tanginess of creme fraiche goes very well.

Oh - and use any liquor. I used brandy as I didn't have any rum.

nickyc_2

Hi, this sounds strange but you can do all prep at home, take pudding along, add the water and then cook it at your friends. It works honest.

Sticky Toffee Pudding serves 6-8
for cake
100g dark muscovda sugar
175g self raising flour
125ml full-fat milk (but I always used skimmed)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g unsalted butter, melted
200g chopped, rolled dates

for sauce:
200g dark muscvoado sugar
approx 25g unsalted butter in little blobs
500ml boiling water

Preheat oven - 190C gas mark 5 and butter a 1.5 litre capacity pudding dish (I used a bigger one 2nd time round as it boils up a bit)

Combine 100g sugar with flour in large bowl. Pour milk into jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melterd butter. Pour this over the flour & sugar and stir with wooden spoon. Fold in dates and scrape into pudding dish (it won't look very full at this stage)

Sprinkle over the 200g sugar and dot with the butter.
Pour over the boiling water (honest) and put in oven.

Set timer for 45mins although it may need up to 10mins more. Top should be springy and spongy when it's cooked. Underneath you get a fab sticky sauce. Serve with icecream, cream etc

if you'd rather a cold pudding have nice receipe for a pear & amaretti cheescake which requires no baking or mixing with geletine

Mardrew

lynzpower wrote:

Actually scrap that Im making this one, doesnt look that hard but looks SO yum

http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/recipes/recipesearch/recipe/9910064-r01.asp

Many thanks for all your suggestions.

Lynzpower did you make the Waitrose Missippi Mud Pie? If so, how did it turn out?

As we are going to a friend's house my pudding(s) has to be something that I can fully prepare in advance and is easily transportable. I am now torn between the Mud Pie, Truffle Torte, Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue & the Tiramasu.

Would anyone have any other suggestions for non-chocolate based puddings that are quick, easy, transportable (and cheap) that I could do as a second one. (We're a greedy lot plus I want to provide a choice.)

Mardrew

PS Angchris, Your signature made me smile - I am a tutor of adults and so planning plays a big part but unfortunately I am a last-minute type of person (hence me still not knowing what pudding I am yet going to do for tonight!!). It is my life's ambition to be organised well in advance and not stress myself by being so last minute with things.

Louisa_2

Old fashioned bread pudding with lashings of custard is an unfussy but delicious option- very gastropub! Made delias last week as had loads of bread about to off and hubby thought he;d died and gone to heaven, it's so easy too

225g bread without crusts, broken into chunks
75g dried fruit
275ml milk
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 beaten egg
50g melted butter
Nutmeg

1/Mix whole lot in a big bowl
2/pour into buttered 2 pt roasting dish (mine is one of the oblong enamel ones, abut 2 inches deep)
3/sprinkle with nutmeg
4/bake in oven at gas 4 180 degrees for 1 1/4 hours
5/Watch with joy as husband/dinner party guest eats and comes to conclusion that you're a goddess

Mardrew

lynzpower wrote:

Actually scrap that Im making this one, doesnt look that hard but looks SO yum

http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/recipes/recipesearch/recipe/9910064-r01.asp

Just to let you know that I finally decided to do this one and it was absolutely fantastic. It went down a treat. (It was also a doddle to make.) Even my friend, who I consider to be a very good os cook, said it was one of the nicest chocolate puddings she had had in a very long time. High praise indeed! (I also made an apple and cinnamon cake which was nice but not nearly as good as the Mississipi Mud Pie.)

I have printed off copies of all the recipes that people were kind enough to suggest and will keep them for next time.

Many thanks for all your suggestions.:T

Stephen_Leak

I had this last weekend, and thought I'd whip some up for all of you ...

ETON MESS

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

450g of fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
250g of meringue
250ml of cream

METHOD

Wash the strawberries, remove any stalks and chop them into quarters. Break or chop the meringue into rough 2cm (1 inch) pieces.

Put the strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar. Mix together.

Add the meringue pieces.

Pour the cream into another bowl. Lightly whip the cream. Don’t over-do it: it should still be pourable.

Add the strawberries and meringue pieces to the cream, or vice versa. Mix together and serve.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use ready-made meringue nests, especially if they are already broken and reduced in price.

If you make your own meringue, this is the dish to practice with. If they weep, crack or even collapse, you can still use them in this. However, you do have to make it a day in advance.

An authentic Eton mess uses strawberries, but other summer fruits work well.

However, even Heston Blumenthal has had to admit that Eton mess is "quite simply impossible to improve upon".

HISTORICAL NOTES

Eton mess originated at Eton College in the 1930’s, when a mixture of either strawberries or bananas with cream or ice cream, all stirred together (hence the name "mess"), was served in the school’s "sock shop" (tuck shop). One anecdotal story is that the dessert was 'invented' by a Labrador dog, when it sat on a picnic basket in the back of a car. With the later addition of the meringue, it has evolved into an unashamedly wicked, yet still utterly English, summer dessert. It is traditionally served at Eton College's annual prize-giving celebration picnic on what is still called the "Fourth of June", despite actually taking place on the last Wednesday in May.

Penelope_Penguin

This is one of my favourite puddings. I'll add it to an existing thread on dinner party puds

Penny. x

redruby

Ooooo lovely, one of my favourite puds too thanks

dianadors

For Summer dessert, I always do peaches or nectarines cut in half with the stone removed. Place in a baking tin. Top with a mixture of crushed ameretti biscuits, butter, brown sugar and a few drops of brandy. Add a splash of white wine and cover with tin foil and bake in oven (200c) for 20-25 mins. Serve hot or cold with a dollop Marscapone cheese.

paigexstewart

Hi guys as the title says,

6 Adults, 1 Main, 1 Pudding, £20.

I know I want to do a roast for the main any meat.

I also want to make a pudding that will impress as having in-laws and in-grandparents < if that makes sense

Trying to stick to £20 and need to buy some orange juice/apple juice and coke.

Thanks