Sticky toffee pudding is a rich British dessert that’s basically an exceptionally moist date cake with caramel sauce poured over the top. Steaming in the slow cooker is an absolutely foolproof way to make it. The maple syrup in the easy caramel sauce is an unorthodox American addition—but maple goes so well with dates.
Sauces
Julia Turshen’s Spicy Tandoori Cauliflower with Minted Yogurt
The yogurt and assertive spice combination give the cauliflower an enormous depth of flavor and a really rich texture. For a complete meal, serve this with white or brown rice, quinoa, or warm flatbread and a platter of sliced cucumbers that you’ve drizzled with lemon juice and sprinkled with salt.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce on Pasta
Local mushrooms are all over the place, so now’s the time to make a simple creamy pan sauce for pasta with lots of grated cheese. Consider it your weeknight dinner, elevated.
John E. Finn’s Sweet Omelet with Rum Sauce (Omelet au rhum)
This is Connecticut author John E. Finn’s favorite omelet (and it’s dessert!). He says he likes it more than he likes his wife, his kids, and almost as much as he likes his dog. We hope he’s kidding! Fun fact: this boozy omelet is one of the oldest of dessert omelets, simple to make and spectacular to serve.
Steven Raichlen’s Smoke Wrangler’s Bacon Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Bacon and bourbon—two flavorings with deep roots in American barbecue. They come together in this smoky tangy barbecue sauce created by Project Smoke smoke wrangler and frequent Barbecue Board contributor, Rob Baas.
Steven Raichlen’s Sweet-and-Smoky Barbecue Sauce
Ask most Americans to describe the perfect barbecue sauce and they’ll invoke a thick sweet red ketchup-based sauce with a zing of vinegar and a whiff of liquid smoke. In short, the sort of sauce Kansas City barbecue buffs have slathered on ribs and briskets for decades.
