Last Minute No Panic Valentine Treat

When I realized that I would be posting on Valentine's Day, I started thinking about you. That's right -- you! By the time you read this, you've either planned a Valentine dinner or you haven't done a thing. You've made reservations or it's too late. So I wondered what you could make as a special Valentine treat that might not require a trip to the grocery store or a long baking or prep time. Happily, I think I found the answer. But first, some fun updates!


Remember the Christmas cookie contest? Lynn was kind enough to send me this photo of the gingerbread family she made with the cookie cutters she won. That's eggnog being served with the cookies. I bet Santa loved stopping at her house!



I've been itching to try Elizabeth's Mushroom and Rice Casserole, so I made it on Saturday night when friends were coming for dinner. It was a hit all around. Brown rice is supposed to be so good for us, and there really isn't much sour cream in it when you consider how many servings the recipe makes. I think I'll be making this more often!

And now -- the last minute, late meeting, no time to stop at the store, don't have the energy to cook Valentine's treat. I quizzed one of my friends who doesn't cook much and she had all these ingredients on hand. So reach into your pantry, pull out the mixer and save the day! This recipe is from The Diva Paints the Town. If you don't care for the liquors in the recipe, feel free to use rum or Cointreau or whatever you have on hand. It's best served with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, however, any flavor ice cream will work. If your Valentine hasn't come home yet, make the batter but don't bake them until everyone is present. DO NOT OVERBAKE. No kidding. If you let it go past 13 minutes, the center won't ooze out in a chocolatey sauce. Of course, they're not just for Valentine's Day, either!

Mudslide Lava Cakes

1/3 stick butter
3 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 medium eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups flour
dash of salt
1/4 cup Kahlua or other coffee liquor
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

Grease six ramekins thoroughly with butter. If you don't have ramekins, ovenproof teacups can be used instead.

Melt the butter with the chocolate. (Hint: use the microwave on a low setting for 30 seconds until you can easily stir the chocolate with the butter.)

Beat the eggs and egg yolks with the sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Mix in the melted chocolate and butter. Add the flour and salt slowly and mix thoroughly. Add the liquors.

Pour into ramekins. Bake at 450 for 13 minutes. Gently loosen the edges of each cake and turn onto a serving plate. Flip the cake right side up. Serve plain, dust with powdered sugar, or add a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a sinfully delicious treat!

Note: The batter can be made a day ahead. Pour the batter into the ramekins, then cover each with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Bake at 450 for 13 minutes just before you want to serve them. They're at their best straight from the oven.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

I was going to blame this blog on Jenn. (Jenn’s thinking -- Me? What did I do?) Well you posted about Rainy Day Cookies. And then CJ posted about Cold Weather Soup. So I was going to blame him, too. The truth, however, is that it has been very cold, and we had an ice storm last night that left everything coated in ice. Honestly, though the thermometer didn’t think so, it felt colder outside in the icy rain than it did when the temperature dropped into the teens last week.

So now you’re wondering why I have to blame anyone, right? Well, along with ice cream in the summer, this is a big weakness of mine -- pudding. There’s something about pudding that’s so soothing. I recommend it for days when romances break up, your sports team doesn’t win, rejections arrive from agents, and someone posts an unflattering review of your book. And then there’s the cold, wet weather thing, which justifies it almost anytime in the winter.


In THE DIVA PAINTS THE TOWN (which will be out on Groundhog Day), Sophie makes ooey gooey chocolate Mudslide Lava Cakes (the recipe is in the book) to sooth the nerves of her best friend Nina Reid Norwood. After all, Nina thinks she may have killed someone -- a problem no one wants to have! For some reason warm chocolate can fix all kinds of troubles. If chocolate doesn't fix them, it makes them more tolerable.

I won’t blame my craving for warm chocolate pudding on Jenn or CJ. But I do blame Mother Nature and her ice storm!

Homemade pudding is one of those things you can do in minutes. I’ve been know to whip it up late at night or fifteen minutes before company arrived. It’s very easy to make. You'll wonder why you ever bothered buying a mix. The basic ingredients -- milk, cornstarch, and sugar -- are probably in your kitchen right now. I’ve made lots of pudding over the years, but my favorite recipe came from Have Your Cake and Eat It Too, by Susan G. Purdy. She added corn syrup to recipe, and I still think it’s the best! I’ve monkeyed with it a hair so it’s not quite as low fat as her original recipe, but it’s still on the low fat side of the equation and has all the rich flavor we crave.

I’ve further simplified the whole process by using four tools: a heavy bottomed pot; a two-cup Pyrex measuring cup; a whisk; and a mini-whisk. No point in washing a lot of stuff!

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

2 cups nonfat milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus two tablespoons unsweetened powdered cocoa
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 2 tablespoons butter

1. Pour the milk into the Pyrex measuring cup.

2. Combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in the pot. Whisk together and get rid of any lumps. Use the whisk like spoon, it’s just more efficient in breaking up the lumps.

3. Pour the cold milk into the pot and whisk until blended. (Note that you still haven't turned on the stove!)

4. Measure the corn syrup in the same Pyrex cup. Add to the pot and whisk in.

5. Turn the burner to medium high and bring to a gentle boil, using the whisk as a spoon and stirring. You may need to turn down the heat when it begins to bubble. Cook so it gently bubbles, stirring with the whisk for one minute. It will thicken.

6. Remove from heat temporarily.

7. Break the egg into the same Pyrex cup and whisk with the small whisk (or a fork).

Drop a tiny amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg and whisk immediately to temper it. Add a little bit more and whisk. (This is so the egg won’t seize up and cook when it’s added to the warm liquid.)

8. Add the egg to the milk mixture and whisk in.

9. Bring to a gentle boil again and let cook for one minute, stirring the whole time.

10.Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and the butter.

At this point, you can spoon it into cups or little bowls. This is a great way to use those little cups that came with your china. Spoon the pudding into the cups, refrigerate until firm, and turn over onto a plate to serve. My great indulgence is to eat it warm, but it’s perfectly delicious cold, too. Serve with fruit or cookies -- or just plain!

If you prefer Vanilla Pudding, check out my very similar recipe 1234 Vanilla Pudding at my website.


PS to Jenn's and Elizabeth's kids --
Yes! You can make banana pudding with chocolate pudding . . .

~ Krista