Now that we are finishing up our Thanksgiving weekend, it’s time to go through the post holiday ritual of putting away all the winning recipes and trashing the less successful ones. One of the new desserts we tried this year that received rave reviews was a pudding cake. If you haven’t had pudding cake before (is that possible?), this is a good one to try to initiate you to the pleasure of this classic comfort food. It’s a no fail dessert and it is dairy free for those of you on special diets. This gingerbread version was new to me, but it will now become a standard since the kids liked it so much. It yields a moist spicy cake with lots of syrupy pudding underneath. Give it a try.

Gingerbread Pudding Cake Bon Appetit December 2007

6 serving

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (I used margarine)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons beaten egg (from 1 egg)
• 1/2 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Whipped cream (or non-dairy vanilla ice cream or topping)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter 8×8x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in egg. Stir molasses and 1/2 cup water in 1-cup glass measuring cup. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 2 additions alternating with molasses mixture, beating to blend between additions. Transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle brown sugar over.

3. Stir 1 1/2 cups hot water and melted butter (I omitted butter) in 2-cup glass measuring cup. Carefully pour over top of batter (there will be lots of liquid on top of cake). Bake until gingerbread is cracked on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Scoop warm pudding cake into shallow bowls. Serve with whipped cream.

Hi folks,

Since several of you have requested the recipe for the risotto, I thought I’d post it. You can also find it on the Cooking Light website at http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=230841

I’m so glad you enjoyed this type of comfort food. I’ll try to include more risottos in the winter menus.

Vidalia Onion Risotto with Feta Cheese

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 2 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans vegetable broth 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese, divided 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in rice. Add 1/2 cup broth; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is nearly absorbed before adding the next portion of broth.

Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup feta cheese, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Spoon rice mixture into a serving bowl; top with 1/4 cup feta cheese and pepper.

5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Cooking Light, APRIL 1997