Cinderella Pudding Recipe

As so often happens, this came to me through an unusual path. I am not a baker. I cook quite competently but the science of baking has always been more of a nuisance than joy to me. Heresy to some of my friends and family who love to bake, but that's me. I hate to follow recipes and baking really requires more exact measuring than I like to be beholden to.

To cover that lack, I have what I consider my "fake out" dessert making stand-by for the times when I must produce a dessert without the help of my favorite bakeries. It's quite simple but impressive. I use a Maryann cake pan.

I use a cake box mix and then take inspiration from the chosen cake mix flavor (I usually choose white, chocolate or carrot) to fill the well that the cake pan leaves behind. Pudding, jams, sauces, fruit, cookies, candy--the possibilities are endless and pretty much always a hit. And the well when filled with pudding type mix keeps the cake moist in the fridge for leftovers, too, rather a simple version of a poke cake. Win, win, win. Plus it tastes and looks like I did something special. Nope. I just own a wonderful cake pan and quite frankly filling that well is MUCH easier than frosting a cake and the presentation is gorgeous. I pretend to be a baker but I am anything but. And the family likes it enough that they still ask me to bring desserts when they know they will either get a version of a Maryann cake depending on the seasonal inspiration or a Publix bakery offering. Cause I do like cakes overall, I just don't want to actually make one from scratch. See some Maryann cake pictures to see what I mean at Pinterest.

So when people see these cakes they all want to know about the cake pan. One of my besties, Valerie, is a baker extraordinaire and she uses the pan with from scratch recipes that are divine but beyond my desire or skill level. We've both been fascinated by the pan's history since I discovered it several years ago--and it is pretty much the only time I introduced something baking related to Valerie's wide range of knowledge and skill. The pan has gone in and out of production since I bought my first one years ago but seems to have made a steady resurgence of late. Valerie recently discovered an antique version and was determined to learn its history when she realized its history was much longer than expected.

She didn't learn much, but along the way, she found this recipe for a Maryann style cake with a fitting title for the SurLaLune blog. I was tickled by it because I haven't read the word "syllabub" in all too long I realized. A very English recipe but found in Florida in 1914 since pudding as a synonym for dessert (a pudding that isn't American pudding a la tapioca or such) is even rarer these days, but perhaps more common than I realized in the United States in 1914. 

Source: The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida, United States of America) · 30 Oct 1914, Fri · Page 13

If you're curious, Val says:

I can't find out who Mary Ann was! But I did discover that women had been making this type of cake but having to scoop out the extra cake. The pan seems to have come on the scene in 1921.

As for me, scooping out cake just means you get a preview that's even better than licking the mixing spoon. Clever bakers getting to make their cake and eat it, too!

Bargain Ebook: Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg is on sale in ebook format for $1.99. If you read the description you can see inspiration from Gingerbread Man and Hansel and Gretel in its pages, at least the food tropes from those tales.

Book description:

Maire is a baker with an extraordinary gift: she can infuse her treats with emotions and abilities, which are then passed on to those who eat them. She doesn’t know why she can do this and remembers nothing of who she is or where she came from.

When marauders raid her town, Maire is captured and sold to the eccentric Allemas, who enslaves her and demands that she produce sinister confections, including a witch’s gingerbread cottage, a living cookie boy, and size-altering cakes.

During her captivity, Maire is visited by Fyel, a ghostly being who is reluctant to reveal his connection to her. The more often they meet, the more her memories return, and she begins to piece together who and what she really is—as well as past mistakes that yield cosmic consequences.

From the author of The Paper Magician series comes a haunting and otherworldly tale of folly and consequence, forgiveness and redemption.

Bargain Ebook: The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature, and the Passages That Feature Them

The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature, and the Passages That Feature Them by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Jensen is on sale for 99 cents in ebook format. No, there are not any fairy tales inside, but there are books that draw from fairy tales, like Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This has been on my wishlist for a while so I was thrilled to add the ebook version to my library for a buck. There is a treasure trove of books I love saluted within.

Book description:

Wake up to a perfect breakfast with Mrs. Dalby's Buttermilk Scones, courtesy of James Herriot's All Things Bright and Beautiful and Ichabod's Slapjacks, as featured in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. There's homey comfort food like Connie May's Tomato Pie, created with and inspired by Connie May Fowler (Remembering Blue); Thanksgiving Spinach Casserole (Elizabeth Berg's Open House); and Amish Chicken and Dumplings (Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth) . . . Sample salads, breads, and such soul-warming soups as Nearly-a-Meal Potato Soup (Terry Kay's Shadow Song); Mr. Casaubon' s Chicken Noodle Soup (George Eliot's Middlemarch); and Mrs. Leibowitz's Lentil-Vegetable Soup (Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes) . . . After relishing appetizers and entrees, there's a dazzling array of desserts, including Carrot Pudding (Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol); Effie Belle's Coconut Cake (Olive Ann Burns's Cold Sassy Tree); and the kids will love C.S. Lewis's Turkish Delight from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Sprinkled throughout with marvelous anecdotes about writers and writing, The Book Lover's Cookbook is a culinary and literary delight, a browser's cornucopia of reading pleasure, and a true inspiration in the kitchen.

Shaunda Kennedy Wenger is author of two YA/MG novels: The Ghost in Me and Reality Bites, Tales of a Half-Vampire (2012 Book of the Year Award Finalist, ForeWord Reviews), as well as an award-winning chapter book: Little Red Riding Hood, Into the Forest Again. Her newest cookbook, From Rivets and Rails, Recipes of a Railroad Boarding House Cookbook, is based on the cookery journal of her great-grandmother. Her work has been published in Babybug, Ladybug, Wonder Years, ByLine, and Short-Short Stories for Reading Aloud (The Education Center, 2000). She regards her monthly book club meeting as one life's essential ingredients.

Janet Kay Jensen is author of Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys (Cedar Fort) and the upcoming Gabriel's Daughter's (Jolly Fish Press). She has received numerous awards for essays, poetry, and short stories, including three ByLine Magazine honorable mentions. A speech-language pathologist, she holds degrees from Utah State University and Northwestern University. She is writing a novel, teaches poetry classes to jail inmates, and is a literacy tutor. Married and the mother of three sons, she is a consultant at Utah State University.

TASTY RECIPES AND THE BOOKS THAT INSPIRED THEM

Jo's Best Omelette . . . Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
No Dieter's Delight Chicken Neapolitan . . . Thinner by Stephen King
Extra-Special Rhubarb Pie . . . The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
Grand Feast Crab Meat Casserole . . . At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Persian Cucumber and Yogurt . . . House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
Tamales . . . Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Bev's No-Fuss Crab Cakes . . . Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell
Macaroni and Cheese . . . The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
Veteran Split Pea Soup . . . The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
Alternative Carrot-Raisin-Pineapple Salad . . . Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
Summer's Day Cucumber-Tomato Sandwiches . . .
Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence
Refreshing Black Cows . . . The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
Dump Punch . . . Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Not Violet, But Blueberry Pie
. . . Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Innocent Sweet Bread . . . The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Daddy's Rich Chocolate Cake . . . Fatherhood by Bill Cosby


. . . and many other delectable dishes for the literary palate!

Lindt Chocolate Valentine Frog Prince Tin

Lindt Chocolate Valentine Frog Prince Tin, 4.8 Ounce (Pack of 7) was available last year and is available again this year. And I have yet to own my own. They are on sale at Kroger this week (if you are in the region where Kroger grocery stores are) but our local Kroger was sold out. The hubby searched and searched for them, but no joy. I saw these last year at Target, too, but practiced self-restraint, silly me.

What I really like about them is that there are golden balls (chocolate balls) and frogs and hearts inside. If you know your Frog Prince, you know that a golden ball is an important story element. Always nice when that thoughtfulness appears in chocolate interpretation. Yum.

Description:

Lindt chocolate embodies the passion and expert craftsmanship of its Lindt Master Swiss Chocolatiers

Lindt delivers a unique chocolate experience offering a distinctly smooth and rich, gourmet taste

Lindt Chocolate Beyond Compare

Fairy Tale Kickstarter: Loose Leaf Tea: Sip & Slip Into the Leaves of a Story by Rebecca King

An interesting Kickstarter project--Loose Leaf Tea: Sip & Slip Into the Leaves of a Story by Rebecca King--is nearly funded with two weeks to go.  The project is well-researched and if you are a fan of fairy tales and tea, this may interest you.

About the project:

Join the adventure of crafting great-tasting teas inspired by classic fairy tales.

This is the first step on a journey to creating a fairytale-themed tea room.

As you might have guessed from the project name, I love tea. I don't just like it - I love tea so much that for my birthday, my sister and brother-in-law gave me the largest tea pot I have ever seen. It holds at least 15 cups at a time. And I live alone, so that tells you how much tea my family thinks I drink.

I started my obsession with tea in high-school after visiting Zimbabwe. I traveled to the country with a team, and one of the girls on the team advised me to be sure to pick up a box of tea from the grocery store. It's a cultural staple and therefore a perfect souvenir. After getting home, I shared the box with my family and discovered my love for tea.

From there, it was just a matter of time before I transitioned from tea bags to loose leaf tea. When I discovered loose leaf (and the myriad of blends you can try), it felt like I had discovered a whole new world. I began ordering tea online so I could try new blends. I started comparing the quality of one company to another company to see how their blends varied (even within tea of the same name!). Now, half of my pantry is filled with over 50 different tea varieties.

But I didn't stop there. I started mixing different tea blends together, then began to create my own blends from the incredible variety of ingredient options. Now, I want to share my blends with the world. And since my favorite thing to do is read a book with a cup of tea in hand, I decided to use my knowledge of tea to create blends inspired by different fairy tales.

Once Upon a Time...

I want to create a special, unique environment where you can do more than just take a breath in the middle of the day. I want to create a place that is a source of inspiration - someplace where you can both relax and re-energize.

Ultimately, I want to create a tea room that reflects these values, and features delicious tea alongside beautiful stories and artwork. The first step is to launch a line of fantastic tea blends inspired by classic fairy tales, which I will be able to accomplish with your assistance!

The Quest

In order to launch my own line, I need to be able to purchase supplies in bulk from international growers. So I'm starting this campaign to raise the necessary funds, beginning with six unique teas that accompany three classic fairy tales. If this campaign is successful, I am planning on adding a new fairy tale each month to my tea line. (Stay turned for hints on the next fairy tale!)

A Happily-Ever-After

To thank you for backing my project, each level comes with great rewards. Whether you're a dedicated tea fanatic or someone new to tea, there's something for everyone. Read more about each tea blend and reward below! Also be sure to check out what my family thinks about each blend - I couldn't have gotten this far without their help and their taste testing of numerous tea blends.

Fairy tale figurines from vegetables by Huyen Tran Chau

From Germany: Fairy tale figurines from vegetables:

Vietnamese master cutter Huyen Tran Chau has crafted a series of fairy tale figurines made from vegetables. A selection will be exhibited in the city library in the German town of Lübeck. The artist herself was present at the official opening.

Huyen Tran Chau was inspired by the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales. She used a simple kitchen knife to cut out the figurines, and utilized certain spices to add color.

Cutting vegetables has become a venerable art form in Asia. The aim is to please the eye as well as the tongue.

The exhibit will run till November the second.

I couldn't find more images from this exhibit other than the one above but here are some old images by the same artist that I found on a different blog here and here. I love these. They are quite fun.

New Book: Fairytale Food: Enchanting Recipes to Bring a Little Magic to your Cooking by Lucie Cash

Fairytale Food: Enchanting Recipes to Bring a Little Magic to your Cooking by Lucie Cash was released earlier this year in the UK--here's the Amazon UK link--but can be bought through independent sellers on the US Amazon site. I have several preview pages below so you can see the style of the recipes as well as the table of contents which is always one of the most important elements for evaluating a book like this, of course.

I am not sure if this will get a US edition--it would definitely be edited for US cooking measurements if it were--so this will be unique either way if you enjoy collecting fairy tale inspired cookbooks. (Yes, there have been a few! And there will hopefully be more in the future!) The recipes are not for the kiddie cooking set without lots of assistance from a grown-up--I've included an image of one below.

Book description from the publisher:

If you fancy tucking into a steaming hot bowl of Princess & the Pea Soup, curling up by the fire with a cup of tea and a slab of Hansel & Gretel's House Gingerbread or tickling your taste-buds with a dollop of Tinkerbell's Trifle, then Fairytale Food is for you ...

... Once upon a time, a young(-ish) maiden decided she was fed up with cooking the same old beans on toast and pasta bakes every night; she longed for some magic in her cooking. So she left her cosy cottage (flat in West London), pen and paper in hand and set off to find inspiration in the land of fairytales. For months and months she toiled visiting our best-loved characters; some were wonderfully sweet and generous, others were a bit grumpy and a little scary, but they all gave her ideas, tips and the confidence to create her very own delicious recipes.

Put a bit of magic into your cooking with these recipes inspired by some of our most-loved fairytales.