Cottage Pudding and the Sea

My love for Cottage Pudding and the sea are interconnected. I grew up in Camden, a quaint little town located on the coast of Maine. I loved being near the water and by the mountains, and I wanted to share this special place with my children since they were getting older and would remember our trip. We traveled to Maine in the summer of 2016 and spent a week with my sister, her son, and my mom. We climbed mountains, put our feet in mountain creeks, swam in the lake and ocean (brrrr), sailed on a schooner: We enjoyed all the "touristy" things and made memories that will last a lifetime.

This trip marked an important moment in Grant's life, too. He had been dealing with some heart issues due to having Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome (WPW) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). He was doing much better after having an ablation procedure to remove three extra electrical pathways in his heart, but the POTS had lingered. This trip was the first time in a long time I saw him go after physical activity, believe in his ability to trust his body again, and he seemed more at peace than I have ever seen him.

Being in Maine with my children and family was such a wonderful experience. I was able to take my kids back to Rockport, Maine, and show them where I used to go and see Andre the Seal with my grandparents.

Throwback: Here Grant and Audrilyn are in 2008 visiting the statue of Andre

Reliving these childhood memories was made even more special when we walked the Breakwater and saw a seal swimming nearby. Everything about this trip was magical, and I was able to capture everything with photography.

Whenever I think about Maine, I think about time with my family, including my grandparents. My Grammie was very special! She had a way of making everything fun, even ordinary things. She inspired me to cook delicious food, and I have made the recipes she taught me over and over again.

One of my favorite desserts is called Cottage Pudding. It is a simple, everyday cake but the special surprise is the chocolate sauce that is poured over it. It is not your usual dessert!

Heritage

I did some research to see where Cottage Pudding comes from, as I was sure it was from our Irish heritage. NOPE. It's not! But I think it is more well-known in New England, and according to Wikipedia, it is an American Dessert. My Grammie is the only person I have known besides myself, my sisters, and my dad to ever make this dessert, and no one I've ever talked to has ever heard of it outside of my family. However, I did find a recipe for it once in a cookbook in the LL Bean store.

One thing about Grant that might surprise you (since he is often wearing a Cookie Monster t-shirt) is that he doesn't like dessert!! In fact, there are very few desserts that he will even try. Cottage Pudding is the only dessert he enjoys. I make it for his birthday, special occasions, and just whenever because he loves it. Naturally, he must learn to make it!!

When given the choice between working on college essays or making Cottage Pudding, Grant chose to do some baking! Ha! I can't say I was that surprised.

Let's begin!

Here are the ingredients for the Cottage Pudding cake

As has become our custom, Grant and I got all of the ingredients we'd need for making the Cottage Pudding cake. Any dense cake will do, and I've used many recipes successfully, but this easy cake has become my favorite. I found it in the Better Homes and Garden cookbook and adapted it to make it just right for Cottage Pudding.

I love this cookbook. My mom gave it to me when my daughter was born. It has all sorts of different recipes and is the perfect beginner cookbook. You can find recipes for breads, cakes, pies, chicken, meat, vegetables, really everything! It has been great resource for cooking temperatures, ideas for ways to cook new foods, and is just fun to read and be inspired by. When my daughter got her first apartment, I surprised her by sending it to her. The updated version is a little different than mine, but the same variety of recipes is present.

We discussed the importance of measuring ingredients carefully when baking. I taught Grant that butter comes salted and unsalted – and different recipes call for one or the other. Since I always use the same brand butter, I have become used to the amount of salt that is in it, so I can easily adjust recipes and salt requirements.

I taught Grant to scoop the flour without packing it in the measuring cup and to use a knife to push off any extra so the measurement can be accurate. Grant wanted to use this same method for measuring sugar, even though I told him that just gently shaking the measure cup when filled would work. Next he measured the baking powder. We discussed the cool design of the container, making measuring easy. He whisked together the dry ingredients.

Grant then began to mix the wet ingredients. He had already measured the milk, but needed to crack the egg, add the vanilla, and the softened butter. I gave him the tip to always crack the egg into a separate dish to be sure no egg shells get into the food you are making. I do this every time I use eggs.

I want to teach Grant to cook in a way that will be easy for him to do when he's on his own, so the practical side of me had him use a hand mixer to make the cake. I have had a kitchen aid mixer for years and years and I LOVE it, but most likely, Grant won't start off with one so I want him to learn with items he'll have easy access to.

I taught him how to place the beaters in the mixer, how the mixing speeds worked (start off slow!), and he began. At first, he was holding the mixer more horizontally, and then lifted the beaters in the air with it still going. You can imagine what happened! Thankfully he turned it off quickly and we readjusted to keeping the beaters vertical. I also taught him to scrape the bowl before finishing mixing to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.

Voila! The cake batter was ready to pour into the pan and bake. He set a timer using our Google Home, but I suggested he also use the oven as he might want to check the doneness before the timer went off. Seeing how long you have left makes me feel better.

The Chocolate Sauce

While the cake baked, Grant learned to cook the chocolate sauce. We set out the ingredients and began. He measured the sugar, unsweetened cocoa, and cornstarch into a pan. He measured the two cups of water and poured them into a small pan. As some of it was spilling on the floor, he said, "Huh. I didn't commit." LOL I noticed! But it happens to everyone and is no big deal. We don't cry over spilled milk (or water!) around here!

After Grant mixed together the dry ingredients, he boiled the water in the small saucepan. Once it began to boil, he poured it into the dry ingredients and began cooking and stirring until the mixture thickened. He cooked it for another minute and then removed it from the stovetop.

He added the butter and vanilla. I told him he could use the cap to measure the vanilla as it would be about a teaspoon. Eventually he won't need to measure ingredients like that but will know how much to use with experience.

Grant then said he needed a toothpick....and I said, "WHY?" To check the cake! I was so impressed! Until he told me the recipe for the cake said to do that. LOL Here I was thinking he was paying attention when I was cooking.

Grant tested the doneness of the cake by putting the toothpick in the center of the cake and to check to see if any crumbs remained on it. The toothpick was clean, so out came the cake. Both parts successfully made. Now to put it all together!

Here's the cool thing about this dessert and being the baker – You can make it just the way you like it! Sometimes I make the sauce thicker by adding a bit more cornstarch, my dad likes to add extra butter to the top of his cake just like his mom used to, and you can decide how much chocolate sauce suits your taste the best.

Grant's Cottage Pudding

I'm so glad to be sharing these recipes with Grant. He's still very unsure about the process. Okay, he's sure. Cooking still isn't his thing. But he's doing it, and I'm glad. This may be one of those things that he'll be thankful for – LATER. Or not, but I'm having fun even if he isn't!

Cottage Pudding Recipe

Cake:

1 1/3 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup softened butter

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the cake, mix dry ingredients together. Add milk, vanilla, egg, and butter. Mix with mixer on low speed til combined. Scrape edges of bowl and mix for 1 more minute. Pour batter into an 8 x 8 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. You can check a bit sooner to check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out cleanly. While cake is cooking, you can make the sauce.

Sauce:

1 cup sugar

2 - 3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa

2 - 3 TBSP cornstarch

2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, unsweetened cocoa, and cornstarch in a pan. Heat 2 cups of water to boiling. Add boiling water to dry ingredients and immediately continue cooking on low/medium heat until mixture is thick and bubbly. Cook for about 1 minute more and remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Stir til combined.

Place a piece of cake in a bowl and pour desired amount of chocolate sauce over cake. Enjoy!