~Cooking Channel

Starting tomorrow Tucson is getting the Cooking Channel. Some of you may already have it. There are 2 shows I'm looking followed to watching. French cooking at home with Laura Calder & Rachel Allen. In truth I don't cook much. I'm more of a baking kinda gal. But, I love watching cooking shows. As my friend says"letting the inner fat girl out to play." So those of you out there who already have this channel let me know what shows you enjoy watching.


Crepes
Recipe by Laura Calder from French Food At Home



Crepes
Ingredients

* 1.5cup/185 g Flour
* ½ teaspoon Salt
* 3 Eggs
* 1 cup/250ml Milk
* 2 teaspoons Sugar only for dessert crepes
* 2 tablespoons melted Butter
* Water, as needed

SAUTEED APPLE SLICES

* 0.25cup/60 g Butter
* 2/3cup/140 g Sugar
* 4 Apples peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
* Lemon Juice to taste

Method

1. Put the flour in a bowl and make a well.
2. Put the salt, eggs, milk and sugar (if using) in the well.
3. Stir to mix, then gradually pull in flour and get rid of any lumps.
4. Strain the batter if you want it extra smooth, then stir in the butter.
5. Let rest 1 to 2 hours before frying.
6. Thin out the batter with water to the consistency of light cream.
7. Heat a crêpe pan over high heat.
8. Brush melted clarified butter or oil onto the pan (unless it's no-stick, in which case you need none).
9. Ladle 1 to 2 tablespoons batter onto the pan and tip it quickly to cover the bottom.
10. If you have too much batter, pour some off. (Crêpes should be paper thin.)
11. When the edges are brown, flip and finish the other side.
12. Stack the crêpes and warm while you finishing cooking the rest.

SAUTEED APPLE SLICES

1. Melt the butter in a saute pan.
2. Add the sugar and cook to dissolve to caramel.
3. Add the apple slices and cook in the caramel until soft and dark.
4. Add a squirt of lemon juice to taste.

THE EASIEST SWEET CREPE FILLING

1. Sprinkle sugar all over a hot crepe (hot, so that it will melt a little) and grate over lemon zest.
2. Roll up the crepe and pop it down the hatch.



Rachel's Date Bread and Butter Pudding with Boozy Toffee Sauce




4 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
10 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed
7 ounces (about 1 cup) pitted dates, chopped
1 1/2 cups cream
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons) superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light brown sugar for sprinkling
Boozy Toffee Sauce (recipe follows)
Softly whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bread, leaving 4 slices whole and cutting the remaining 6 slices in half to make triangles. Grease the sides and base of an 8-inch square baking dish. Place the 4 whole slices of bread buttered side up on the base of the ovenproof dish, then sprinkle the chopped dates over the top. Arrange the triangles of bread buttered side up on top to cover the dates.

Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan almost to the boil. While it heats up, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl, then pour the very hot milk and cream on top, whisking as you pour. Pour this custard over the bread, and allow to soak for 20 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar over bread. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and carefully pour in enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden and the center just set. Serve with Boozy Toffee Sauce and some softly whipped cream.

Boozy Toffee Sauce
8 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter
8 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) light brown sugar (or half brown and half superfine sugar)
1 cup cream
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup sweet sherry

Place the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool for 1 minute, then add the brandy and sherry. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Rachel?s Baking Tips: Try and find large, plump Medjool dates for this recipe. This recipe can be made a day ahead and then re-heated in the oven at 350 degrees F, for 8 to 10 minutes or until hot in the center.