Friday, January 27

Banana Chocolate Steamed Pudding with Chocolate Ganache




The first time I had steamed pudding was on the farm in Ireland and boy, was it unforgettable! Steamed pudding is like a cross between cake and a muffin- super dense and moist. It's extremely easy and manageable to make. At first, it's weird because your steaming it but when you get over that, your addicted to the results!

Banana Chocolate Steamed Pudding
Serves 6
1 3/4 cups self rising flour OR 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour and 2 tsp baking powder
6 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
2 ripe bananas
6 Tbl sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2-3/4 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
Pinch of salt

Prepare a steamer by filling a stock pot half way full of water. Cover and heat to boil. Butter and dust with flour a 6-cup deep bowl. Sift flour and baking powder in another bowl and cut in the butter until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Mash bananas in another bowl (sorry, lots of bowl needed for this one) then stir into the flour mixture. Whisk in the milk, egg and sugar. Fold in chocolate.

Put the batter in the buttered bowl and cover with foil. Foil should almost be to the bottom of the bowl and should be secure so no water gets in.

Once the stock pot is at a steady boil, carefully put the bowl into the water and cover. Steam for two hours. Add water as needed to keep constant steam. When done, run a knife around the top of the pudding to loosen it, then turn it over onto a serving dish. Serve hot with ganache over it.

For the chocolate sauce/ganache:
1 cup cream
1 cup chocolate chips

Heat cream in a small pot until a simmer, then pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for a minute then stir until smooth. Let sit/cool until desired thickness. Pour over steamed pudding and enjoy!

Thursday, January 5

Sonoma County




Wineries and farms to ocean creatures, it sure is a pretty place.