With a year wrapping up and Thanksgiving just around the bend, I’ve lately found myself thinking about many a thing short and sweet.
Things like:
Quick trips with one’s family and my mom too. She’s the itty bitty one in the picture …
… and little mice too.
Image from Writers-Free-Reference.Com
Of one’s days in high school (yup, that’s me with the tunes) …
… time with loved ones far away …
… and awesome quotes too.
Image from FromUpNorth.Com
The first time we cut the cake …
… and of puppy dogs that inquire …
Photo Credit: Image from EpicPugs.Tumblr.Com
… but since it’s impossible for me to remember them all — dear readers — here’s where I perspire. So please kindly leave me your thoughts and tell me, please do. ‘Til then, here’s a few more things that are short and sweet:
(Yup, it’s true!)
Summer in Seattle, Señor Winnie the Pooh …
Image from Pooh.Wikia.Com
… and this cake extraordinaire I made this week just for you.
Baked Bourbon Pudding Cakes with Cherry Cardamom Sauce
Inspired by Tyler Florence
Serves 4
For Pudding Cakes
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
For Cherry Cardamom Sauce
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon dried Bing cherries
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease 4 – 6 ounce ramekins well with unsalted butter. Set aside.
Boil enough water to fill a roasting tray halfway, and lower heat to a simmer while you prepare batter.
In a large mixing bowl — using a wire whisk — combine egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and bourbon until well combined. Add flour, sugar, and salt to mixture and fold until just combined.
In a separate, clean medium-sized mixing bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
Slowly and gently fold egg whites into batter mixture — using a fork — a little at a time until just mixed.
Divide batter evenly into your prepared ramekins.
Place roasting tray on middle rack of preheated oven, line bottom with a kitchen towel, and very quickly and very carefully fill quarter-full with boiling water.
Set ramekins into the water bath you just created in the roasting tray and fill — if needed — with more boiling water until water reaches halfway up sides of ramekins.
Bake for 22-27 minutes or until tops of cakes are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
While cakes are baking, begin making sauce.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cherries, water, maple syrup, cardamom, and salt. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to low and allow sauce to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
Then — stirring constantly with a wooden spoon — slowly pour cornstarch into sauce and cook for about 5 – 10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken to a thick syrup-like consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.
When cakes are ready — using tongs — very carefully transfer ramekins to a cooling rack and allow cakes to cool for about 15 minutes.
Loosen each cake from sides of ramekin with dull edge of knife — going around the inside to do so — then carefully invert onto a small serving plate. Repeat with other three cakes.
Serve immediately with warm cherry cardamom sauce spooned over top.
Enjoy!
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Small Kitchen Chronicles 
Such a sweet post Christina! I love all of these little short and sweet memories. And this little pudding cake? WOW. I want two. I may have to put on my baking hat for this!
P.s. You looked beautiful at your wedding!
Talk soon!
Rebekah
Aw, thanks, Rebekah, that’s so sweet of you and so glad you enjoyed!
Have a wonderful rest of your week, lady, and yes, talk soon!
=)
Christina, a couple of things I love about this post –1) The recipe, of course and 2) how you incorporated some personal photos of yourself. I especially love that picture of your wedding! Thanks for sharing –wonderful post!
-Anne
Thank you so much, Anne, I’m so glad! And thanks for reading and stopping by — it’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
=)
I love reading your blog! 😉
*warmed heart*
=)
Momalakis is short and sweet:). And that pudding cake looks so good!!!
Yes, she is!
And, I must make you some, or you must make yourself some!
Love ya, bother, you’re the best!
Ok, I love this post for many reasons. First, I love all your photos…soo cute. Second, I love that you used a recipe inspired by Tyler Florence, I have a serious crush on him, three…the recipe looks absolutely amazing, and four, that wedding cake is the same exact style I had at my wedding!! Great post!
Aww, thank you times four, Brandi! I so appreciate that and am so glad to hear it =)
Yeah, that TL is just too much, in a good way, and how funny that our wedding cakes were so similar — who knows, they just may have been twin cakes separated at birth ….
Thanks for the comment, Brandi, and so glad to have you stop by my humble little blog — you’re welcome here anytime =)
OMG THAT DOG. That dog is so cute. I love, love, love all these photos!! I love this mini snapshot of your life. And I am so curious to try these pudding cakes–it seems like nothing is in them! Only 1 tbsp of butter, 1/4 cup of sugar and flour! So like, super healthy right? That’s what I’ll be chanting tonight. Or soon, when I make these 🙂
That dog photo seriously made my day.
I am so glad, Erika, I try!
Thank you, thank you, and thank you — I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it so =)
And yes, I would agree, that pooch is just sweeter than candy.
Re: the cakes, it does seem like there’s nothing in them, but, ooooh, lady, they are delicious and yes, dare I say it, pretty healthy for sure, but sure don’t taste like it.
I’ll keep my ear to the ground for those chants and lemme know how you liked ’em!
You had me at bourbon, but I guess the rest of the dessert looks pretty good too! ha!
Ha! Many thanks, Man Fuel! Thanks for dropping by =)
For those of you out there who are wondering, “Is this dessert as good as it looks,” I can assure you that it certainly is. I never know what to expect when Christina starts cooking, and I am always pleasantly surprised. For this dessert, “pleasantly surprised” just doesn’t do it justice. This dessert is superb! I love it so much that I have asked Christina to make it for my birthday. This dessert, and her Best Ever Pecan Waffles with Bacon are my top two favorites. How did I ever get so lucky?
**warmed heart times infinity**
Thank you for leaving such a wonderful comment for me, my sweet husband! Your support means the world and, of course, I’ll make this for your birthday =)
And, really … I think it’s me who is the lucky one =)
I love you, sweetheart!
Hi Christina–
When I first saw this recipe, I didn’t think I would be making it since I don’t usually bake with alcohol, but after reading your husband’s rave review (what a sweet hubby!), I am seriously tempted to go out and get a bottle of bourbon just to try this recipe!
By the way, thanks again for the gift card–Trader Joe’s has the best things during the holiday season!
Hi Rose,
I was just thinking about you the other day! So nice to hear from you =)
Oh, I am so happy to hear it! Yes, my husband just went gaga over these and they really are such a treat! A sleeper surprise, really. I think you’ll be delighted with them — let me know if you end up making them!
And re: the Trader Joe’s gift card — again, you are so welcome. They do have the best things during the holiday season!