Bonfire Puddings with Tarantula Sauce is a modern British recipe for a classic dessert of a light almond sponge-type base topped with a mix of apricots and pecans that's served with toffee sauce and which makes and excellent end to any Halloween or Bonfire Night celebration. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British dish of: Bonfire Puddings with Tarantula Sauce.
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Essentially these are apricot and pecan puddings with a sticky toffee sauce. Despite the name, they are actually quite light and make an excellent ending to any Halloween or Bonfire Night meal.
Ingredients:
For the Apricot and Pecan Topping:
60g light brown sugar
60g pecan nuts, chopped
120g dried apricots (the ready to eat kind), chopped
pecan nut halves, to garnish
For the Almond Base:
90g butter
60ml maple syrup (or 60g soft brown sugar)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp potato starch beaten to a slurry with 2 tbsp water
90g ground almonds
30g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
a few drops of vanilla extract
Combine the sugar, chopped pecan nuts and dried apricots in a bowl then pack into the base of four well-greased ramekins.
In the meantime, cream together the butter (or margarine) with the maple syrup (or brown sugar) then add the egg an beat thoroughly to combine before beating in the potato starch slurry. Add the plain flour and mix thoroughly then add the ground almonds, baking powder and vanilla extract. Beat well to combine then spoon the resultant mixture into the ramekins, dividing equally.
Place the ramekins on a baking tray then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the base has set.
As the apricot and pecan puddings are baking, prepare the sauce. Pound the sugar with the back of a spoon or rolling pin to remove any lumps then combine in a pan with the cream an butter. Stir constantly over gentle heat until the butter has melted. Now bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture is toffee-coloured. Take off the heat then stir in the vanilla extract and chopped pecan nuts.
Once he puddings have baked, turn them out onto serving plates. Garnish with pecan halves then spoon some of the toffee around and over the puddings ad serve immediately (for Halloween, spoon over the toffee in a cobweb pattern).
