Pudmas [S. Worthen

madcatlady, inspired by the season and by a general appreciation for sweet things, hosted Pudmas this weekend, a evening of all desserts, all the time. Well - with crudités, crackers, cheese, sliced meat, and dips to leaven the saccharine.

A tender rice pudding was leavened with clementine segments and spiced with cardamon and nutmeg, I think.

A slice of firm chocolate rice crispy bar, topped with alcohol-soaked berries and topped with thick cream and grated chocolate had its sublime moments. The milk-chocolate flecked boozy berries with cream was superb. The rice crispy bar was overkill, a firm foundation on which the lighter elements rested. I had to carve out bites; fine on its own, but the rest was much better. (G)

Treacle pudding filled the kitchen with dense caramely sweetness. The pudding itself was respectable, done right, but with nothing more to raise it above solid competence.

Bananas Foster were all alcohol. The overwhelming brandy sauce was too much on its own, or even just with the bananas. A lavish dollop of mascarpone proved apt enough foil, but only in small sauce doses. (K)

The chocolate-and-cream layer cake was a more subtle confection than its immediate competition, and so my taste buds couldn't do it justice.

The mousse was richly chocolately. (D)

Trifle, with its pleasant underpinning of yielding soft fruits, was far too liquid to hold together.

Panettone bread pudding with ~~brandy~~ amaretto custard was excellent, the dried fruit leavening the custardy richness of the pudding. The ~~brandy~~ amaretto was handled with a light enough touch to complement the panettone's own flavors rather than overwhelming them.

I know I missed the first dessert of the evening, a vanilla soufflé, and the Eton mess promised for later in the evening. After my first game of Robo Rally - hilarious, fun, engaging, strategic, accidental - we left for the drive back down through starlight to the south.

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If you love chocolate, TasteTV.com meets Fritz Knipschildt, the hip founder of Knipschildt Chocolatier, at the New York Chocolate Show. Also, Laurie Gauguin shows us a few new Knipschildt sauces. You decide if it's your taste. It's interesting either way. Watch it here on TasteTV (http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid296742318/bclid301907361/bctid367269620)

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"The brandy was handled with a light enough touch to complement the panettone's own flavors rather than overwhelming them."

That's cos it was ameretto :-) Shameless quantities too! I agree, none of the puddings were up to restaurant standard; my own favoutes were Sarah's chocolate gateau, Derek's chocolatey moussy thing and (I blush to admit) my own pannetone pudding; then again, the idea was to make our own favourite desserts so it's no wonder really :-)

Come to the next one!

This is why I should take notes as I go if I'm going to be writing things up. I didn't even know my compliments on the bread pudding were for my host, which makes 'em even better! The quantities may have been shameless, but the balance really did work.

I wasn't really complaining about the desserts you know. It was a fabulous idea and I was happy to eat every one of them. When people make food and I get to eat it, I'm grateful. I only wrote it up this way since you ~~demanded it~~encouraged me!

If I'd known what the real mandate was, I would have tried harder myself! Shows how much attention I was paying...

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S. Worthen | Weblog

Pudmas

Chocolate

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October