Staff Recommendations. Valentines Craft Project. STP.

Psst. Can I interest you in a good book to read? I am a librarian, after all. 😊 In addition to writing this blog, I write book reviews our CIDL website as well; about one a month, give or take. You’ll find our “staff recommendation” for books right underneath where my blog is located, on the Adult Services page. I share that space with my librarian co-workers at CIDL.

To date, I’ve written three reviews that have appeared on the website. The Scent Keepers, by Erica Bauermeister, is the story of Emmeline, a young girl with an amazing gift of smell. Raised on a remote island, alone with her father, she is forced to fend for herself when he

dies suddenly. I enjoyed this coming-of-age story and wished I could actually smell all the great olfactory delights being described.

I next reviewed The Flight Attendant, by Christ Bohjalian. It tells the story of Cassie, a flight attendant who drinks too much and then one day wakes up to a dead man in her bed, his throat slit wide open. Panic stricken, she flees the Dubai hotel room, not even sure she didn’t murder the man herself. Mayhem ensues as she runs from the killer and tries to prove her innocence.

If The Flight Attendant sounds familiar to you, you may have recently watched the series made from the book on HBO Max. I enjoyed the book, but the TV series is even better. They made changes, but stayed true to the spirit of Bohjalian’s book. They took his one book and turned it into an 8-episode series, so they definitely added characters and storylines. It stars Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory fame, and she is really good as Cassie. I was excited to read there will definitely be a season 2 of the series, which was certainly hinted at with the cliff-hanger ending.

My third book review is Murder in G Major, written by Alexia Gordon. Of the cozy mystery genre, this is the story of Gethsemane Brown, a world-class, classical musician from Texas, who finds herself unexpectedly working at a private boys’ school in a small town in Scotland. Turns out the cottage she’s living in is haunted by a curmudgeonly ghost who would like her help in solving the murder of his beloved wife, a crime for which he was accused before his own untimely death. Ms. Brown is a fun, spunky character and the ghost, Eamon, is a hoot. This was the first book in the series, and I hope to listen to more of the audiobooks.

I’ve recently submitted my fourth book review which will be up on our website shortly. The book, City of Thieves, came very highly recommended to me by my daughter’s boyfriend, Greg, who said it was now in his “top five favorite books of all time.” I was able to download the audiobook via our library’s Overdrive service and promptly dove in. It was a great listen; it’s a great book.

I’m going to give you a sneak preview and share that review with you here and now. Just a little cross-promotion for our Staff Recommendations that I hope you’ll indulge me in.

City of Thieves By David Benioff Published June 1, 2008

“But mostly he talked about one week in 1942, the first week of the year, the week he met my grandmother, made his best friend, and killed two Germans.”

And what a powerful week it was. A week that, in a nutshell, is the story of City of Thieves: A Novel by David Benioff. Lev and Vika Beniov are a retired couple, Russian immigrants, living on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Their grandson comes for a visit, seeking the story behind the family legend that his grandfather had killed two German soldiers before he was 18 years old. And so, they sit and talk, Lev and his grandson, and the truth of that life-changing week comes out.

Lev is 17 years old and living on his own in the family apartment in Leningrad. His father is long dead, and his mom and sister have evacuated to the country for their safety. World War II is raging on and the Germans have surrounded Leningrad, intending to starve, bomb and burn the citizens of Leningrad out.

It’s New Year’s Eve, and Lev is on the roof with three friends when they see a German paratrooper floating down in to their neighborhood. Based on the limpness of the man’s body, they assume he’s already dead and run down to the streets to locate his body, hoping to salvage anything of value they might find on him.

Gloves, a scarf, goggles, a flask of liquor, a wallet filled with deutsche marks. They each take something, and Lev straps the dead man’s knife around one of his own skinny ankles. They’re passing the flask around when a car of Russian soldiers comes around the corner, and the four friends run for home. They’re out past curfew, and if caught, might be shot dead on the spot.

Lev’s three friends escape safely, but he’s caught after stopping to help his friend, Vera, who slips on a slippery patch of ice. Amazingly, they don’t execute him, but take him to the prison and throw him in a cell, because he’s, “A good one for the colonel.”

It’s in this dank jail cell that he meets Kolya, the man who will become his best friend. Kolya is a character, a handsome young solder charged with desertion. He’s also a talker and story teller, one who seldom shuts up. He, too, is spared execution when he and Lev are taken together to see the local army colonel.

The looter and the deserter. That’s how the colonel refers to Lev and Kolya. After a quick interrogation, the colonel tasks them with a strange but simple request: bring back a dozen eggs. His daughter is getting married on Friday and the eggs are needed for her wedding cake.

A simple request, except for the fact that Leningrad is a city behind German lines, and its people are starving. Food is so scarce that family pets and pigeons are long gone, eaten for food. Book glue is boiled into something called “library candy” and eaten for the protein it provides.

But thinking the looter and deserter might be good at petty thievery, the colonel gives them 400 rubles, a curfew waiver and five days to deliver the eggs or they will be shot. And off they go.

The search for a dozen eggs will take Lev and Kolya through the city of Leningrad, where among their encounters is a narrow escape from a couple who want to add them to their cannibal food locker. And when the city proves a dead end, they leave Leningrad and go behind enemy lines.

On the run from German soldiers, traipsing through snow covered fields and forests, Lev and Kolya will fight the bitter cold and empty stomachs as they search for the eggs. And Lev will meet the woman who will one day become his wife. And yes, he kills two German soldiers.

No spoilers here, you will have to read City of Thieves to see how it all shakes out. This book came highly recommended to me and it did not disappoint. Lev is just a skinny kid forced to be a man in horrible situations that would get the best of any of us. Kolya’s non-stop banter is entertaining to the reader as well as serving as motivation that often prods Lev to keep going when all he really wants to do is give up.

City of Thieves is gripping, at times gory, but ultimately a sweet story about two young men sent on a suicidal mission to find a dozen eggs during the siege of Leningrad. Its twists and turns will keep you reading till the end. I love a book with a great ending, and I loved the ending of this book.

FYI, the name of Lev’s grandson, the one whom he’s telling the story to, is David Beniov. While author David Benioff’s name is very similar, he is on record as stating City of Thieves is purely fictional and not the story of either of his grandfathers, both of whom were born in the United States.

Availability Our library owns a print copy of this book. It’s also available as an audiobook on Overdrive/Download Destination. I borrowed the audiobook from Overdrive; read by actor, Ron Perlman, it’s a great listen.

About the Author David Benioff was born and raised in New York City in 1970. His first novel, The 25th Hour, was made into a film directed by Spike Lee. Benioff worked with writing partner, D.B. Weiss, to develop the Game of Thrones TV show. He earned three Emmys for the show on which he served as executive producer, show runner, and script writer. He is married to actress, Amanda Peet, and together they have three children.

If you get a chance to read or listen to City of Thieves, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book. As always, feel free to email me at graib@cidlibrary.org with any and all feedback. And don’t forget to check out our Staff Recommendations when next you’re looking for a good book and unsure what to read.

PAINTED HEART INSTRUCTIONS AVAILABLE

Since this past fall, I’ve been sharing instructions for my Maker Magic program projects with you. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to do that before Valentine’s Day with my February holiday-related project. Since I missed the window for getting this craft to you in a timely manner, I’ve decided not to dedicate a full blog post to it. However, I want to make the instructions available to you if you’d like to make one anyway.

This project, what I’m calling Valentine Heart Wall hanger, is a wooden heart I painted in a whimsical, colorful manner. As I’m quick to admit, painting is not really my thing – unless it’s a room in my house. 😉 But when I saw it on Pinterest, I decided to give it a try because I thought it was so cute and would be a good Maker Magic project. And I’m happy to say I like how it turned out.

I found only the picture online, no instructions, so I had to figure it out as I crafted. As usual, when I create my sample for a Maker Magic program, I write down what I’m doing, while I’m doing it, and I base my instructions on those notes. And now, as I said, I’d like to share them with you if you’re interested.

Here is a link to my instructions for you to download and use; there is also a link to WHAT YOU’LL NEED, supply-wise, for crafting. Shoot me an email if you decide to make this project and have any questions. You could make it now for next year. Or, print and save for whenever you’re ready to craft.

Painted Heart Instructions

.docx

Download DOCX • 1.18MB

What you'll need to make Valentine heart

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Download • 13KB

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING REVISITED (STP)

In my January 25 posting, I shared with you my recipe for Sticky Toffee Pudding, an iconic British dessert I discovered on a trip to Ireland several years ago. And when I say “my” recipe, I mean the recipe I found online at Mel’s Kitchen Café, one that I love to make and eat! It’s a delicious date cake smothered in toffee goodness.

I’m happy to report that blog reader, Tracy, gave STP a try and sent me pictures as proof! Tracy told me it wasn’t hard to make and thought it was, “like, the best thing I’ve ever made.” 😊 Her words are music to my ears! I’m grateful for the positive feedback and the pictures she sent along. Thanks, Tracy! By the way, she also wondered if it would be wrong to straight-up, just drink the toffee sauce. Of course not!

Great job, Tracy!! 😊

The sun is shining. The snow is melting. Is winter behind us? Maybe. Stay tuned. This is Michigan after all.

Take care and stay safe.

Bernie, just hanging in the library. (Photo cred to our CIDL Facebook page. Thank you!)

Congo Bars. With a Side of Updates.

Congo bars. That’s a funny name for a dessert, isn’t it? I’m not sure why they’re called that, but they are a favorite of my husband, Tim, going back to his childhood, when his mom would bake them often. My mother-in-law, Marilyn, passed away five years ago, and her Congo bar recipe was lost to us, as we did not find it in her recipe box.

Tim with his mom, Marilyn

Until a few years ago, I’d never baked Congos myself. But thinking that baking a batch of them would be a nice treat for Tim, I set out to see if I could find a recipe for these so-called Congo bars. Is that what they were really even called?

Well, let me tell you, Congo bars really are a thing! Searching the internet, I found a plethora of recipes labeled Congo bars. Some websites called them “traditional New England treats” while others said they were “popular in southeastern United States.” LOLs. One blogger even referred to them as, “Everyone’s favorite long-lost vintage cookie recipe from their childhoods.” Yes, ma’am.

And yet no one, at least in my quick research, seems to know why they are called Congo bars. One person surmised that adding “Congo” to the name was intended to make the bars sound exotic, since coconut was once an unusual commodity. Interesting, but the recipe I use does not even call for coconut. Or, pecans either, which many other recipes do.

Because I found so many variations of the recipe, I decided to go with one by a well-known celebrity cook, Rachael Ray. (Those are her beautiful bars to the left.) It was a great decision and the rest is Congo bar history, at least in my world. They are a family favorite, with near legendary status in my entire extended family. 😊

I’ve baked them to take to work potlucks, to our annual library tea, to family reunions, to send to my niece and nephew at college, etc. Or just to have at home when our sweet tooths need to be satisfied. In fact, I made a batch this past week-end for our at-home Super Bowl viewing. Can’t think of an event they wouldn’t make better. 😉

So, what are Congo bars and why are they so good? They are but a humble blond brownie with chocolate chips. They use only brown sugar instead of white sugar, and I think this is one of the keys to their deliciousness. Rachael Ray describes them as being, “Thick, rich and toothsome.” And, she believes it’s the butter and brown sugar that seals the deal. I concur.

As an added bonus, they are quite easy to make. And as long as you have a bag of chocolate chips on hand, chances are you’ll have most of the needed ingredients in your kitchen cupboards. I love them and am happy to share Rachael’s recipe with you now.

CONGO BARS

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups chocolate chips

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour and mix until combined. Stir in chips.

Coat a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish. Bake 30 minutes, then cover top with foil to avoid over-browning. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out with moist crumbs. You will think they are under-done – they aren’t. Make sure you don’t over bake.

MY NOTES ABOUT CONGO BARS

Let’s talk chocolate chips. You might have a favorite brand you always use, and I do as well. I love Ghirardelli chocolate chips, and they are the only brand I buy to bake with anymore. The recipe calls for 2 ½ cups, but I pour the whole bag in. Maybe a full bag is 2 ½ cups, but I’ve never measured them out, so I can’t say for sure.

The dough will be quite thick, and it’s not super easy to spread in the pan. I just want you to know that this is normal and don’t think you did something wrong.

When Rachael tells you to not over bake them, she means it. I do as she says and bake them for 30 minutes, cover them with foil, and bake an additional 10 minutes, no more. And I never test their doneness with a toothpick anymore. I take them right out after the additional 10 minutes covered baking time is up.

Be very careful when pulling off the foil after baking. Steam will pour out, and it’s easy to burn yourself. I usually pull it off very slowly with a pot-holder covered hand. 😊

When it’s time to cut the bars, because they are so “thick, rich, and toothsome” as Rachael Ray said, they can be a challenge to cut with a knife. So, I use a tool called a scraper/chopper to cut them. I usually run it around the edges of the pan first and then cut the individual bar pieces. The pieces come out oh, so neat and tidy using the scraper/chopper. Two thumbs up!

That’s it! Super easy and super delicious! Please give them a try and let me know what you think.

A COUPLE OF UPDATES

I want to share with you now a couple of updates on past blog posts.

My October 19, 2020, posting was entitled “Missing Mackinac Island.” In this post, I shared with you my love for Mackinac Island, a place near and dear to my heart, as my mother was born and raised there. I wrote a bit about the history of my family on the Island as well as introducing you to some family members over the years.

There was one anecdote I wanted to share with you but did not, as I could not find the picture I needed to back up the story. Good news! I came across that picture recently while looking for another, and so now I can tell you about the small connection my family has to the making of the movie, Somewhere in Time.

Starring Jayne Seymour and the late, Christopher Reeve, Somewhere in Time was filmed on Mackinac Island in the summer of 1979. It was about a Chicago playwright obsessed with a vintage portrait of an actress hanging at the Grand Hotel. Through hypnosis, he travels back in time to meet her.

It was a cute, little film that didn’t do great box office at the time, but has since become a cult favorite. Especially on Mackinac, where each fall a Somewhere in Time weekend is held at the Grand Hotel.

Locals from the Island were used as extras in the movie. My mom’s sister, Mary, her husband Ray, and their daughter, Kathy, were lucky enough to be chosen to be extras in one scene. It was a party scene filmed inside the Grand Hotel. Here’s a picture of Seymour and Reeve from this scene. When watching the film, you have to look quickly, but you can see my relatives in the background. Well, at least I know they are my relatives. 😊

I wish I could tell you cool, behind the scene stories from the making of the movie, but it’s been 41 years now and any stories my aunt may have shared with me are no longer in my memory bank. What I do remember, is that she had a party for cast members at her home and was honored that Jayne and Christopher both attended.

This is the missing picture I was looking for! Taken in their front parlor, I love how Christopher Reeve has his hands on my aunt’s shoulders and is leaning in. It’s a sweet picture with smiles all around. For two big stars (this was Reeve’s first film after Superman and Jane Seymour was a Bond girl!) to be so kind to film extras is a wonderful thing.

By the way, another star of this film, was the late, great, Christopher Plummer, who passed away recently. Plummer plays the manager for Seymour’s character who does everything he can to keep the strange time traveler away from her. Here’s a picture of him with Jayne Seymour.

“Is it you? Is it?” This to me is the most iconic, quotable line from Somewhere in Time. Here’s a picture of the scene from the film. This spot has become a must-have photo-op for visitors to the Island, and is now marked by its own marker.

FYI, Somewhere in Time is available to borrow as a DVD from our library.

UPDATE ON KAREN

And now an update on a sadder note.

In my August 3, 2020, post “Mom Pom, I Can Do Anything!” I wrote of my love of four books meaningful in my life. At the top of that list was Karen. Karen told the story of Karen Killilea, a young woman born in 1940 with cerebral palsy. Given up as a hopeless case by many doctors, Karen’s parents took her home and lovingly cared for her, doing all they could to ensure she would be able to lead a normal, productive life. The book was written by her mom, Marie, who shared with readers her loving family who surrounded Karen with love and patience and helped her succeed.

They were so successful, and Karen was such a fighter, that as an adult, she was able to live a very independent life in Larchmont, New York. When I last wrote, she was just about to celebrate her 80th birthday on August 18. Now, I must report to you that Karen Killilea passed away on October 30.

Karen, with her sister, brother-in-law and niece.

Her death was not widely reported till the New York Times published an obituary for her on December 21. The Washington Post picked up the story and also published an obituary for her on December 23. Now, I read (parts of) the Washington Post almost every day, but I never read their obituary section. However, for whatever reason, on December 23 I did and stumbled across the obituary for Ms. Killilea. And while her passing did indeed sadden me, I’m glad I now have the complete story of the life of this remarkable woman whose life has long inspired me.

Here’s a link to the obituary of Karen Killilea from the Washington Post if you'd like to know more:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/karen-killilea-dead/2020/12/23/7abec184-4530-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html

I'm going to leave you with a couple of pictures I found of Christopher Reeve filming on Mackinac Island. Yes, that's a car on the Island! Only for the movie. 😊

Take care. Stay safe. Until next time!

Sticky. Toffee. Pudding.

Have you ever heard of sticky toffee pudding? It’s an iconic British dessert that consists of date sponge cake drizzled with toffee sauce. Served warm, it’s ooey, gooey deliciousness! I had never heard of it myself, until I traveled to Ireland in 2013, and enjoyed my first piece ever in a cute café in Dublin, Ireland. And, I’ve been hooked ever since.

Let me give you a bit of the back story on how I discovered sticky toffee pudding. In August of 2013 I went on a tour of Ireland with my daughter, Laura. We flew into Dublin where our tour would start. After a night of travel as we flew across the Atlantic, we were pretty tired when we arrived in Dublin. (Unfortunately, I can barely sleep on planes.) But in our travels together, Laura and I have learned that the best way to quickly adjust to the local time zone is to fight being tired and not give in to the temptation to nap. You have to stay awake by staying busy.

And so off we went, and we boarded a Dublin tour bus to get an overview of the city. We visited two key spots that afternoon, the first being St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This beautiful cathedral is over 800 years old, is the largest cathedral in Ireland, and serves as the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. The building is a busy place that serves as a place of worship, a visitor attraction and as a host for many events. It is believed that St. Patrick baptized people into Christianity at the well outside the cathedral in the 5th century.

We ended our tour bus ride by checking out the Guinness Storehouse, home of the world-famous Guinness beer. It’s now a pretty cool museum of Guinness history and the story of how they make their beer. If you wish, you can work your way through the museum and end at the Gravity Bar on the top floor. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls of this round bar offer you a panoramic view of the city of Dublin, a breathtaking view, and it alone is worth a visit to the top.

Additionally, if you make it up to the bar, a free pint of Guinness is awaiting, included in the tour admission price. I’m not a beer drinker, and after being up well over 24 hours at this point, a pint of beer was really the last thing I needed. But what the heck, it was free. And we’d heard that watching them pour the beer at the tap was fun to do. So, we bellied up to the bar for our free pints and watched the artistry of the pour. It was interesting to watch as the beer is allowed to settle for few seconds when the glass is about 3/4 full and you can see the “cascade and surge” as the head forms on the top. It is a beautiful brown beer in motion, one that you want to “drink in with your eyes.” Which I did. But that’s all I drank; I will admit, I wasted a perfectly grand pint. I tasted it, I took a sip or two, but it’s a very strong beer, and shall we say, not my cup of tea. 😊

(Do you want to watch a Guinness Master Brewer pour a perfect pint? Search Google for a YouTube video on, “How to pour a perfect Guinness pint.” It’s a short, neat little video that demonstrates the technique involved in the perfect pour.)

It started raining as we left the Guinness Storehouse and so we returned to our hotel, Buswells. By now, we were very tired and it was time for dinner. We did not want to not stray far from our hotel and chose Bewley’s Café, just a short walk from Buswells. Bewley’s, in business since 1927, is legendary in Dublin, with beautiful Harry Clarke stained-glass windows. It’s located on Grafton Street, a lively, pedestrian friendly shopping area.

We chose very well for our first dinner in Ireland! What a special place Bewley’s was, great atmosphere and a delicious meal. It did not take us long to decide we wanted to have a very traditional fish and chips. And it did not disappoint! I even loved the cute little yellow covers on the lemon slices. A very good meal followed up by something called sticky toffee pudding. It was new to us, but it sounded good, and so we gave it a try. And as they say, the rest is history!

The sticky toffee pudding was so wonderful I swear I wanted to lick the plate to get every last drop of toffee goodness. As we were in public, I resisted. 😉 But from that moment on I was hooked. And I’ve been on the lookout for sticky toffee pudding (STP) deliciousness ever since.

I had STP one more time on that trip. And when I traveled to Scotland in 2018, I was able to eat it twice again. However, none of these subsequent desserts was as good as the first and left me disappointed. And I wondered why…

Back home, I began a search for a really good recipe for STP. There are a lot of them out there from which to choose. I both googled and searched Pinterest and settled on one from a website called Mel’s Kitchen Café. I’ve used it several times now and love the results. I hope you will as well.

And this recipe contains the secret to what I think makes the difference as to whether STP is good, or really, really, out of this world, good. 😊 What’s that difference? In step 2 of the sauce portion of the recipe, it ends with, “Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of heavy cream; also, optional but terribly delicious.” I read the recipe that first time, and then thought back to all the STPs I’d eaten to that point. The Bewley’s STP was garnished with a side of decorative whipped cream, which quickly dissolved into the warm toffee. All the latter STPs were not drizzled with cream or whipped cream but topped with a scoop of ice cream. Ice cream, which kind of just sat there and cooled down the warm toffee.

That, to me, is the difference-making secret: STP must have heavy cream or whipped cream added versus a lump of cold ice cream. The cream blends with the warm toffee which becomes all the more flavorful and creamier. While the cold ice cream just sits there. The cake is served warm, the toffee sauce is warm, why cool it down with cold ice cream?

The heavy whipping cream is used in the making of the toffee sauce. While I’m working on the sauce, I leave the cream to sit on the counter, bringing it close to room temperature. By the time the sauce is done, the cake is plated, the pecans have been sprinkled, and the sauce poured over the cake, the heavy whipping cream is ready to be drizzled over the whole dessert. I am much more generous with the cream than the recipe calls for though. I don’t measure it, but give it a generous pore, till I’m satisfied there is enough. With that final flourish, the sticky toffee pudding is ready to be served!

Now, if you’re ready, here we go!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

FOR THE CAKE:

6 ounces dates, pitted and finely chopped (about 8-10 Medjool dates)

3/4 cup boiling water

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR THE SAUCE:

3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1 stick (8 tablespoons or ½ cup) butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Pinch of coarse, kosher salt

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Additional heavy whipping cream for drizzling (optional)

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 6 to 8 ramekins (about 6 ounces each) with butter or cooking spray or lightly grease an 8X8 or 9X9-inch pan.

2.) For the cake, in a medium bowl, stir together the dates, boiling water, baking soda and vanilla extract (see note for alternate method). Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.

3.) In a separate medium bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until well-combined and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

4.) Add the eggs and mix.

5.) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.

6.) Fold in the date mixture (no need to drain) until combined; don't overmix.

7.) Fill the ramekins evenly with the batter, about 2/3 full, or spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

8.) Bake the ramekins for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back to the touch. (If using a square baking pan, bake for 22-25 minutes. UPDATE: increase baking time as needed, some have needed upwards of 40 minutes.) Don't overbake or the cake may be dry.

9.) Let the cakes cool completely in the pan(s) - although the cake can be served slightly warm also.

1.) For the sauce, combine the sugar, butter, cream, and salt in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth and combined, 5-7 minutes.

2.) If the cake was baked in ramekins, turn out onto individual plates (if baked in a pan, cut the cake into squares). Pour the warm sauce over the individual servings, and sprinkle with pecans, if using; drizzle with a teaspoon or so of heavy cream, also optional but terribly delicious.

NOTES FROM MEL’S KITCHEN CAFÉ:

Make Ahead: the cake(s) can be made ahead, baked and frozen up to a month (or a day ahead of time - cover well overnight). Thaw and lightly warm the cake before serving. The sauce can also be made 1-2 weeks ahead of time and refrigerated. Warm lightly before serving.

NOTE FROM ME, BETH 😊

The first time I made this cake I did not have ramekins and baked it in an 8X8-inch pan. It took forever to bake, and I had to keep putting it back in for more time. As the creator, Mel, mentions above, she has updated her recipe to reflect that when this cake is baked in a square pan it does indeed more time in the oven; upwards of 40 minutes she now states, and I agree.

I made STP for this past New Year’s Eve and decided to try baking it in my oversized muffin tin for the first time. (I did not use cupcake liners, spraying the pan instead with Pam.) I filled all six cups and still had enough leftover for one of the ramekins I now own. I sprayed the ramekin with Pam as well and filled it with the remaining batter. I put the muffin tin and ramekin both on a cookie sheet and popped them in the oven to bake at the same time. They all came out great in the baking time suggested by Mel.

I have to say I really like the way the little mini-cakes look in comparison to pieces cut from a square cake. As I now have a set of six ramekin cups, I will use them in the future to bake my STP skipping both the muffin tin and square pan.

If there are leftovers, I always microwave both the cake and toffee sauce before serving because sticky toffee pudding just tastes better when it’s warm. Enjoy!

STICKY TOFFEE POPCORN?!?!

Yes, I found this recipe in a fall issue of People Magazine. It was around the time of the release of the fourth season of The Crown, and they suggested it as a tasty snack while watching the latest, most tantalizing season of the show yet. I have not tried it yet, but plan to sometime soon. In the meanwhile, I’ll share the recipe with you now. If you try it, let me know what you think of it, OK?

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup light brown sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

¼ cup golden syrup or light corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

10 cups freshly popped popcorn

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO

In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, golden (or light corn) syrup, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until syrup is a deep caramel color, about 4 minutes. Add the popcorn and stir until evenly coated. Spread popcorn on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; let cool 15 minutes before serving.

It seems super simple. I look forward to whipping some up soon. Maybe for the Super Bowl in two weeks?!?!

Just one more bit on the theme of the week. I was lucky enough to find this little gem tucked into my Christmas stocking last month. I guess Santa knows how much I like sticky toffee pudding. And I must have been a good girl! 😉 It was a very tasty treat! An excellent quality chocolate bar. Yum!

You all stay safe out there! Take care.