When I go to the library I always check the magazine section to see if there are any new (old) magazines stashed away under the shelves. (We’re not allowed to check out the most recent issue.) I look for Gourmet and Cooking Light, and I always skim the shelves to see if they’ve started ordering Bon Appetit since I put in a request for it a few months ago (they haven’t—sigh). I also look for Brain, Child and sometimes Mothering Magazine, too. Home Education used to be top on my list, but not anymore now that it’s coming to my front door (thanks, Mr. Handsome).

On my latest trip to the library I came home with just one magazine: Gourmet. Over the course of the next several days I flipped through the glossy pages reading recipes, skimming articles, and staring at the ads. Then, when the kids were all outside (I think it was while they were doing this), I plugged in the copier/printer. (I don’t like to copy things when the kids are around because as soon as they hear the machine buzz to life, Sweetsie and The Baby Nickel are right there, fingers itching to push buttons and yank the papers right out of the machine’s mouth, which, naturally, stresses me out and makes me rush. I prefer to sit cross-legged on the floor, thumbing through the magazine, pondering and printing, at my own poky pace.)

After I’ve copied all the recipes that I think might be tasty, I unplug the printer, stuff the cord back into the cupboard, throw the tupperware boxes and plastic bags back in the cupboard where they join the cords in roosting atop the machine in a messy jumble, and stack and staple my new recipes—except that Miss Becca Boo used my stapler without permission so it was jammed (I have very good reasons for demanding she ask permission first) and I had to use a paper clip instead.

And then I made the recipe on the first page of my little stack of copied papers: Butterscotch Pudding.

Dah-lings, I’m going to save you a trip to the library and go ahead and type up this recipe right here, right now. Maybe you didn’t make the butterscotch ice cream recipe I posted a couple weeks ago since it involved tempering, straining, chilling, and churning? Well, none of those steps exist in this recipe, except for the chilling part, and I suppose you could skip that step all together and eat the pudding warm, if you are so inclined. I tasted it at that point (of course) and it was delicious.

So, see? No excuses this time around. This pudding is spectacular, as well as being quick and easy—the kind of recipe that every cook needs to have in his or her repertoire. Learn to make this pudding and you’ll be ahead of the game, figuratively speaking.

Eh? What’s that? You’re afraid to make it because then you might eat it all yourself? Well, you do have a point there. That certainly could be considered an occupational hazard. But the good news is that it doesn’t make a very large recipe, only a little more than two cups, and while it would be wise to make sure there are some other hungry pudding eaters lurking in the wings, if you end up doing a solo performance and happen to eat it all yourself, it won’t be the end of the world.

Just try to wait a few days before making yourself an encore.

Butterscotch Pudding
Slightly adapted from Gourmet, February 2009

The recipe called for 1 ½ cups of whole milk and ½ cup of heavy cream, but since I was using raw milk (which doesn’t feel quite as rich to me), I decreased the amount of milk (I was using skimmed) to 1 1/4 cups milk and upped the cream to 3/4 cup.

½ cup packed brown sugar, the darker the better
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Add the milk and cream and whisk well. Heat it over medium heat, stirring constantly, till it boils, and then boil for one minute still stirring steadily. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour the pudding into another bowl to cool, pressing a piece of wax paper on to the top to prevent a skin from forming. Once it is cool, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store the pudding in the refrigerator.

Note: It is absolutely delectable when eaten with snickerdoodles (recipe forthcoming).

Like I twittered, I’ve been craving chocolate, so today I decided to make Silverton’s Warm Sourdough Chocolate Cake. I have no idea why I waited so long.

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? News this good is not to be dilly-dallied with.

It’s a crazy simple recipe, really. All you need is fourteen ounces of bittersweet chocolate, the more expensive and high-end the better since the chocolate is the main ingredient. However, I didn’t follow directions and instead (it was all I had) used the bars of Hershey’s dark that my girlfriend picked up for me at a discount grocery—99 cents for a half-pound bar—and it still turned out intoxicating. Besides the chocolate, you’ll need three-and-a-half eggs, three tablespoons sugar, a quarter-cup of cream and a quarter-cup of starter.

That’s it.

Well, what are you waiting for? Snap to it!

Warm Sourdough Chocolate Cakes
Adapted from Nancy Silverton’s Breads from the La Brea Bakery

While supremely elegant, these cakes have no frills, and you may, if so inspired, wish to play around. I kept thinking a little booze might be nice, maybe in the whipped cream I spooned on top, or maybe in the batter itself. Or, if you’re not spirit-inclined, you could drizzle over some caramel sauce, or maybe artsily sprinkle about some red-raspberries.

These cakes are supposed to be baked in molds set on oven-safe dessert plates—then, after removing them from the oven, you simply slip off the molds (Silverton says tuna cans with both ends cut out of them will work fine), plate the hot dessert plate on a larger dessert plate and serve. I’m sure it would all be very elegant, but I used ungreased ramekins instead and they turned out just fine. I used four two-ounce ramekins and five four-ounce ramekins because that was all I had, but I think it would be better to use more of the smaller-sized dishes—these are some hefty-rich cakes and you only need a small amount to get your kicks.

The fantastic thing about this dessert is that it can be made ahead, maybe even a day or two, and stored in the fridge in the molds all ready to go into the oven. So you can have your fancy company over and towards the end of the meal you pop the cakes into the hot oven and start the coffee to percolating and by the time you’ve finished up your dinner, the molten cakes are coming out of the oven. Just dollop or dip the whipped or frozen cream, and there you have it.

I do not know how these cakes keep. You are supposed to eat them warm, but well, not everyone has enough people on hand to eat up all these little cakes as they come out of the oven. I had one (my second) at room temperature and it was lovely. I’m going to try refrigerating most of them and freezing a couple, just to experiment. Thawed and flash-baked, I bet they’ll be as good as new.

14 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 whole egg
2 eggs yolks
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons sugar, divided (I used vanilla sugar)
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup white starter (make sure there are no flour lumps)

Break the chocolate into pieces and microwave till melted, stirring every thirty seconds or so. Set aside, but do not let it get cold.

Whip the cream and put it in the fridge.

Whip the egg whites with one tablespoon of the sugar and set aside.

Using a mixer, beat the whole egg, the two egg yolks, and the two tablespoons sugar for about five minutes, until very thick and creamy.

Add half of the chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture, along with the starter and whipped cream. Stir gently, but well. Fold in the egg whites and then add the remaining chocolate.

Fill ungreased ramekins three-fourths full, set them on a baking tray, and bake in a 500 degree oven for five-six minutes. Only the edges will be softly set; the middles will still be quite jiggly and wet.

Serve warm, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Ps. For a fun bread blog (lots of sourdough), visit Yeast Spottings. I submitted this post to that site, so hopefully I’ll be showing up there sometime in the near future.

Also, I’m starting a list of bread links in the sidebar. If you have a favorite bread blog, please send me the link so I can check it out. Thanks!

Update, April 4, 2009
I was right—these freeze beautifully. I just thawed one at room temperature and then heated it in the microwave for a few seconds, topped it with some homemade vanilla ice cream and some sour cherry sauce. I’m swooning.