Gingerbread Pudding with Orange Sauce
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Hard Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons brandy (or Grand Marnier)
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 11/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of dried currants
- 1/2 cup of diced crystallized ginger (optional)
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
For sauce: Combine all ingredients in small bowl; stir to blend well. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
For pudding: Coat inside and center tube of 6 to 8 cup pudding mold or Bundt cake pan with nonstick spray, then generously with butter. Sift flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then marmalade, molasses and orange peel. Add flour mixture and beat just until blended. Transfer batter to prepared mold. Cover mold tightly with foil.
Place steamer rack in large pot. Place pudding mold on rack. Fill pot with enough water to come halfway up sides of mold. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover pot and steam pudding until tester inserted near center comes out clean, adding more boiling water as needed to maintain level, about 2 1/2 hours. Using oven mitts as aid, remove mold from pot. Uncover and let stand 10 minutes. Cut around top center and sides of pudding to loosen. Turn pudding out onto baking sheet and if not solid, finish it in the oven at 250 for about 20-25 mins. Remove and cool 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely) Transfer pudding to platter.
Serving
Cut pudding into wedges; serve with sauce and top with a dollop of creme fraiche
Slow Food - Good, Clean and Fair
Slow Food West Michigan is the West Michigan chapter of Slow Food, a non-profit, member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life. We stand against the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat.
What We Are
Slow Food West Michigan is the West Michigan chapter of Slow Food, a non-profit, member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life. We stand against the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
SFWM supports the mission of Slow Food, working closely with Slow Food USA, the national association headquartered in Brooklyn, NY.
Who We Are
Simply put, we are the members of Slow Food who live in and around West Michigan. We, the members of SFWM, designate a steering committee to represent us, and to run the chapter's events and affairs. SFWM is entirely organized and run by volunteers, drawing talent, expertise, and ambition from our members and friends around the region.
What We Do
We support those who contribute to a good, clean, and fair food system, both for-profit and not-for-profit. We do this through several means:
- We plan educational and convivial events of eating, drinking, and socializing, where we learn to reclaim and evangelize the joys of the convivial table, and educate our taste.
- We recognize and promote food producers, artisans, purveyors, chefs and restaurateurs who contribute meaningfully to the quality, authenticity, and sustainability of the food system that feeds West Michigan.
- We support other like-minded organizations working towards a good, clean, and fair food system by promoting, volunteering and donating.
Slow Food Mission Statement:
“Slow Food USA envisions a future food system that is based on the principles of high quality and taste, environmental sustainability, and social justice—in essence, a food system that is good, clean and fair. We seek to catalyze a broad cultural shift away from the destructive effects of an industrial food system and fast life; toward the regenerative cultural, social and economic benefits of a sustainable food system, regional food traditions, the pleasures of the table, and a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.”
Find Out More
You can learn much more about Slow Food right online, at both the Slow Food USA website and the Slow Food International website.
If you'd like to contact us to learn more about SFWM, please see the contact page of the SFWM website.
Or, just come to one of our events! Come chat with us and learn how you can join us, become a member, get involved, and start living Slowly.
Le Fou Frog
I've traveled to Kansas City twice in the past several months. On my trip back in September, I found myself looking for a place to eat one evening as I was on my own for dinner that night. Kansas City is a great place for steaks as well as excellent barbecue but I wasn't really in the mood for either that night. So, I pulled out Yelp and started looking for a different type of place to eat.
Le Fou Frog came up in Yelp and the name immediately drew me in. The reviews on Yelp were positive and after taking a look at the menu decided I had to check it out. Kansas City is not the place I expect to find a french bistro and as my taxi approached the restaurant, admittedly I wondered if I had made the right choice. The restaurant is in a location not far from downtown but has a very plain facade and it's plain enough from the outside, it makes you wonder if you're in the right place and if a french bistro is really behind the door (as opposed to a bar with pub grub).
I was immediately at ease when I walked in. The decor has a decidedly French influence and I really did feel a bit like I walked into a Paris bistro. I had such a great dinner there that night (see the photos below) that on my most recent trip back to KC, I was able to convince my coworkers and our gracious vendor we were visiting to go back to the restaurant for dinner. We had 13 people there and while I think our group size was a bit of a challenge for a kitchen I suspect is more used to preparing for tables of two or four than 13, they did a great job and everyone really enjoyed the experience. We happened to show up on the monthly "Night of Song" and were entertained as several of the wait staff sang songs to the guests.
I have quickly grown fond of Le Fou Frog for both the food and the atmosphere. I will definitely make it a regular stop as my travels take me back to Kansas City. I ran across the following description of Le Fou Frog and think it's very fitting:
Le Fou Frog has been lauded in local and national newspapers as an authentic, hip, quirky, yet romantic French bistro. The Daily chalkboard of entre selections range from traditional Bistro fare such as: Steak au poivre, bouillabaisse, escargot, mussels and onion soup. Some of the offerings have a distinctive Southern French accent, being that the Chef owner hails from Marseille. However other entre offerings show the worldly influence showing impact on Chef Manos style. Diners have become accustomed to trying new and exotic offerings such as: Kangaroo with a sweet spice reduction sauce, or interesting pairings like sweetbreads and diver sea scallops in a truffle vinaigrette. Le Fou Frog is many things to many different people. There is always a happening at The Frog.
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| Prince Edward Island Mussels steamed in a broth of white wine, bay leaf, mustard and cream |
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| Duck Confit with lentils and mixed green salad with a raspberry vinaigrette |
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| Amuse-Bouche : pate mousse with chicken liver |
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| Seared Kangaroo Loin in a game stock reduction with sweet and savory spices |
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| Tarte Tatin paired with a 2005 Le Tertre Du Lys D'Or Sauternes |
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| Truffle |
Tayberry Jam
The description of Tayberry Jam is sure to make your mouth water!
Scottish Raspberry crossed with Aurora Blackberry, this dark red fruit has the best of both worlds. It was created in Scotland but loves our Washington climate, fabulous flavor! Extremely popular.
This one looks like a raspberry but is considered a blackberry. It's a little sweeter than the Loganberry and has great flavor. It's considered one of our most popular jams.
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