Pina Colada Pancakes with Vanilla Rum Syrup

Pina Colada Pancakes with Vanilla Rum Syrup

With the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day feast around the corner, I've been experimenting with making my own flavor infused syrups to serve with them. When I spied the remnants of a bottle of dark rum that was unlikely to be used for anything else, I took that as my inspiration. Rum of course invokes tropical flavor thoughts, maybe because of the cold winter weather outside so I thought why not Pina Colada Pancakes? Why not indeed. They turned out incredibly delicious. No doubt they will make return appearances at weekend brunches throughout the year.

Pina Colada Pancakes with Vanilla Rum Syrup

A bit of an adult flavor combination in this delicious brunch dish but since the alcohol is completely cooked off the kids can enjoy it too; or just serve theirs with maple syrup. A great recipe for annual Pancake Day.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: About 18 large pancakes
Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup sugar sugar
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced small
• VANILLA RUM SYRUP
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 small vanilla bean
• 1/4 cup dark rum

Cooking Directions

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
2. Add the milk, sour cream, eggs and vanilla and whisk together until their are no lumps left.
3. Stir in the pineapple and coconut.
4. Pour by ¼ cup measures onto a heated and oiled griddle.
5. When bubbles break the surface of the pancakes flip them and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with Vanilla Rum Syrup.
6. For the Vanilla Rum Syrup, in a small saucepan bring the water, sugar, corn syrup to a slow simmer. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds, adding them to the pot along with the vanilla pod. The pod can be removed later. Let this boil for 5 minutes then add the rum and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 230 degrees F on a candy or meat thermometer.
7. Allow the syrup to cool to almost room temperature before removing the vanilla pod pieces and serving over the pancakes.

Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake

Rum Truffle Strawberry Cheesecake

Sometimes friends and family get Christmas Day dessert as a gift from our family on Christmas Eve. It has been a bit of a tradition at our house for the past few years. Putting too many on that list can turn into a logistical nightmare so a selection of the bounty from our annual November freezer cookie blitz is now most often what this lucky list now receives.

Invitations to parties and pot lucks however, still have us taking along a decadent dessert to grace the table and this year this particular cheesecake was a huge hit at several venues. The inspiration comes from homemade rum truffles that I sometimes make and once dipped fresh strawberries into to adorn the top of my very popular Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake. Everyone loves that flavor combination so this new cheesecake was the result and another new dessert favorite was born.



Strawberry Compote Topping

• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a very gentle boil. Thicken with 

• 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 
• ¼ cup cold water

which is added to the strawberries while stirring gently. Boil gently for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Cool completely for several hours in the fridge.

Cookie Crumb Crust

In a small bowl, combine:

• 1 1/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Press into the bottom of a lightly greased or parchment lined 9 inch spring form pan. (Grease bottom only!) Parchment paper is ideal here because it makes it very easy to release the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan.

Cheesecake 

Cream together:

• 3 eight ounce packages ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar

Add, one at a time

• 3 eggs

beating well after each addition. Add:

• 3 tsp vanilla extract

Finally blend in:

• 1 cup whipping cream

Pour over the prepared base and bake in a bain marie at 300 degrees F for 60-70 minutes. (Learn about using a simple bain marie by clicking here.) The cheesecake does not have to brown at all in order to be fully baked; the surface of the cheesecake should lose any shine when the cake is properly baked. It can still be slightly wobbly just at the center at this point.

Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp knife completely around the edge of the pan. This will allow for the cheesecake to shrink as it cools and hopefully not crack (but who cares if it does? I am never bothered by a crack or two in the surface) Allow the cheesecake to cool thoroughly on a wire rack at room temperature. (NOT in the fridge). Refrigerate after fully cooled. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Rum Truffle Ganache 

The rum truffle ganache is used to cover the cheesecake and to dip the strawberries.

• 2 cups dark chocolate chips (or semisweet)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3 tbsp dark rum, optional (or 1 tsp rum extract) 

Melt together, just until smooth in a double boiler. Do not over heat. Just as it is melted remove from the heat. Dip in:

• 10 -12 large strawberries

Place the dipped strawberries on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper and chill until ready to garnish. Pour the remaining ganache over the chilled cheesecake and spread very quickly and evenly over the top and sides with a flat spatula. Return the cheesecake to the fridge to chill again.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 3  rounded tbsp icing sugar (ie powdered sugar, confectioners sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine and whip until stiff mounds form. Using a piping bag (or a large Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) pipe mounds of the vanilla whipped cream all around the border of the cheesecake, to form a sort of well for the strawberry topping. Spoon the Strawberry Compote Topping onto the center of the cheesecake and garnish with the chilled dipped strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mango Rum Barbeque Sauce

Mango Rum Barbeque Sauce

I've been wanting to try this idea for a grilling sauce for a while now so when we planned some simple juicy grilled pork chops for dinner last week and with some ripe mangoes on the counter top at the ready I decided to give it a shot. Boy was it ever good! The sweet and tangy sauce with fragrant rum and spices was perfect with the thick juicy grilled pork chops that were simply marinated for just a half hour in garlic, lime juice and a pinch of cumin. If you'd rather not use the rum, some orange juice would make a good substitute. I can't wait to try it on chicken and maybe some grilled shrimp too.

In a medium saucepan heat over medium heat

• 3 tbsp olive oil

Add:

• 1 chopped white onion
• 3 cloves chopped garlic

Sauté together until the onions have softened but not browned. Add this to a food processor along with 

• 2 very ripe mangoes, diced

Puree together until very smooth. Add the puree back to the pot and add:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup rum
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp five spice powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (Optional or use more or less to taste)

Simmer together very slowly over low heat stirring every few minutes until the sauce thickens naturally into a consistency that is easy able to be brushed on whatever you are grilling. As you get nearer the end of the cooking time stir the sauce constantly to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Store in mason jars or airtight containers.

Ragged Rock Rum Truffle Cake

I made two of these cakes yesterday, one for a charity auction at my kid's former school and one to bring to a friend's house last evening and by all reports, this new dessert was well received at both it's debut locations. This is quite a simple cake but quite elegant and impressive at the same time. I started with a light, airy sponge cake that gets soaked with a little rum before being filled and covered with an easy to make chocolate rum truffle whipped ganache frosting. So luscious!

BTW the name Ragged Rock refers to a brand of rum sold here in Newfoundland; you can use any good quality rum in this recipe.

Ragged Rock Rum Truffle Cake

Sponge Cake

Sift together and set aside:

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the meringue base of the batter you will need:

6 eggs separated, room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tarter

1 cup sugar, separated in 2 half cups

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon flavoring (optional)

Beat egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy. Add ½ cup sugar gradually until egg whites are stiff.

Beat egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until foamy and thickened.

Fold beaten egg yolks into the beaten egg whites along with the vanilla (and lemon) for only a few turns before slowly and gradually folding in the flour and baking powder mixture very gently BY HAND using a rubber spatula until just incorporated into the meringue mixture. I mix in the dry ingredients in 3 equal portions. Do not over mix, you just want the flour to be incorporated; over mixing will deflate the egg whites and result in a tough textured final product.

Pour into greased and parchment paper lined 8 inch round cake pans and bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cake is completely cooled, split the two layers into four and sprinkle each layer with

1 ounce rum

To prepare the frosting, melt together in a double boiler

3 cups dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup whipping cream

Stir constantly over a gentle simmer in the double boiler, just until melted and smooth throughout. You do not want this mixture to get hot, it should be just at the melting point and only lukewarm to the touch.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in

2 ounces good quality rum

In a separate bowl, whip to firm peaks:

2 cups whipping cream.

Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture in four portions, folding gently after each addition until the whipped cream is completely incorporated into the chocolate. 

At this point you will probably have to chill this frosting for a half hour or so in the fridge if it is too soft to work with. Just give it a quick fold with a rubber spatula every 10 minutes so that it cools evenly in the fridge.

Fill and frost the rum soaked cake layers with the frosting and garnish with fresh berries if desired. Chill the cake for a couple of hours before serving.

Rum and Spice Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Rum and Spice Glazed Pork Tenderloin

The inspiration for this recipe came from one of the guys at work whose version of this recipe he had made several times and had become a favorite pork dish. I can easily see why. He describes it as, "Really easy and incredibly delicious." I have to agree with that summation.

I did make some additions to the original recipe to bump up the spice and add a little more heat and most importantly, added some dark rum to create a fantastic glaze to serve with it. The pork tenderloin cooks quickly, to moist tender perfection, making it an ideal quick workday dinner which Spouse declared to be the best pork dish she had ever had.

• 2 to 3 lbs pork tenderloin

Rum Glaze

In a small saucepan over medium low heat add:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic

Saute for only a minute until the garlic softens, then add

• 1 cup brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 4 ounces dark rum
• 2 to 3 tbsp Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper (optional if you like a little extra heat)

Simmer slowly for about 5 minutes until the glaze thickens slightly.

Spice Rub

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. chili powder

Mix together and rub over the entire surface of the pork tenderloin/s.

To a skillet or frying pan on medium heat add:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Lightly brown the pork tenderloin/s on all sides.

Brush some of the glaze onto the pork tenderloin before placing it in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of the tenderloins being used. I use a meat thermometer to test the meat and take it out of the oven when the temperature reaches 140-150 degrees F. You can brush more glaze onto the meat half way through the cooking time.

It is important to cover the meat with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Spoon extra glaze over the pork when serving.

Rum Raisin Cake or Frosted Rum Raisin Caramel Cake

Rum and Raisin Cake

Inspired by a vacation visit to Jamaica, where it seemed rum cake was in every shop we entered, this amazing raisin cake gets a fine boozy soaking in rum after it is baked. This cake is terrific on it's own, with custard, ice cream or as a frosted cake. You can adjust the amount of rum that gets soaked into the cake to suit your own taste; I confess I prefer it quite boozy. ;)

Makes two 9 inch round layers

Soak for about an hour or more:

• 3/4 cup raisins in
• 6 ounces dark rum

Strain the raisins, reserving the remaining rum to soak into the cake at the end.

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 1/2 cups cake and pastry flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cream together until fluffy:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after every addition;

• 4 eggs at room temperature

Beat in

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with

• 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

Fold in the rum soaked raisins during the final addition of milk. (You can also fold in 3/4 cup toasted pecans at this stage too if you like)

When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter evenly into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you will not want to overbake this cake, as soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pans for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When completely cool,pierce the cake with a wooden skewer all over the surface. Carefully spoon the reserved rum over the entire surface of the cake. You can add a little extra rum if you like a wetter cake as is common in Jamaica. Some people prefer to seal the cake in an airtight container for a day before serving.

You can serve the cake as is or frost with buttercream frosting with a little rum added if you like. In the version below, I've filled the cake with a soft caramel. Find those recipes below the photo.

Frosted Rum Raisin Caramel Cake

Caramel

In a small saucepan combine:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring to a slow boil until foamy, then add:

• 1 10 oz (300 ml) can sweetened condensed milk ( I've used Eagle Brand Dulce De Leche condensed milk here for great caramel color)

Bring back to a slow boil over medium low heat. and cook stirring continuously for another 15-20 minutes until the mixture darkens slightly and thickens. It should reach no more than 220 degrees on a candy thermometer or the caramel will harden. Cool completely before filling the center of the cake. If you pipe a thick line of frosting around the entire perimeter of the first cake layer before adding the filling, it helps to contain the caramel to easier frost the cake.
Rum Buttercream Frosting

• 4 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp rum
• 1 to 3 tbsp milk

Blend all ingredients except milk until smooth. Add only enough milk to bring the frosting to a spreadable fluffy consistency. Frost sides and top of cake after adding the caramel filling and chill well for several hours before serving.

Thanks for 2 MILLION Page Hits!

Rock Recipes today reached 2 MILLION page hits! Help me celebrate by sharing this photo of Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake, the very first photo and recipe I ever posted to my website, and still one of my favorite desserts.
In that first month, I remember being surprised at nearly 7000 page hits; last month we reached a new high of 204,000 page hits.

Thanks to you all for your amazing support which has fuels such incredible continuing growth

Go back in time to 2007 and get the recipe for this fantastic cake by visiting the link below.

For those of you outside Newfoundland, Screech is an iconic Newfoundland brand of dark rum. Any good quality rum can be substituted.

Strawberry Screech Black Forest Cake

Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding

Revered by some as the ultimate comfort food, bread pudding, however, generally gets a bad rap and quite undeservedly so. My wife claimed for years that she did not like bread pudding, remembering the bland versions of her childhood.

As with any great simple dish, the quality of the ingredients is paramount to the success of the final product. This principle is particularly relevant to the preparation of a good bread pudding. Start by using a very good bread. Here I have used some day old brioche from the neighbourhood Georgestown Bakery which lends itself particularly well to this recipe. This soft, buttery, egg enriched bread is my ideal choice for this dessert. Crustier breads can add more textural interest and some may prefer their slightly chewier virtues in bread pudding. Good homemade white or whole wheat breads cannot be discounted for their adaptability either and not to forget leftover croissants which sometimes make their way into bread pudding recipes on some posh restaurant's menus.

There really is no substitute for cream in this recipe. Many local versions use only milk which does not work as well with the eggs to form the custard which binds the whole thing together. This is the occasion to use very good vanilla extract or even to previously steep a split and scraped vanilla pod into the milk for a few minutes before adding it to the preparation.

This is the recipe that changed Spouse's opinion of bread pudding. In the end, I had to send out the final few servings of this pudding to a friend's family, as Spouse claimed she could not be trusted to be left alone in the house with it. It is that good.

Soak
½ cup raisins in ¼ cup amber rum. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for several hours or overnight.

5 cups bread cubes (Use any good quality bread. I’ve used Brioche here but French, Italian or Belgian bread is good too.)

Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish well. Toss in the bread cubes in an even layer. Sprinkle the bread cubes with the rum soaked raisins along with the rum that they were soaked in. Sprinkle the bread cubes and raisins with

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved:

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing down slightly to make sure all the cubes are soaked. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes until the custard is set and no longer liquid in the center. Let the bread pudding stand for about 20 minutes before serving. If desired, when serving, drizzle with a mixture of

2 ounces honey

1 ounce amber rum

Rum Marinated Grilled Peaches

4 firm ripe peaches

4 ounces amber rum
4 tbsp cinnamon sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar

Cut peaches in half and remove the pits. Place in a glass baking dish, cut side up and pour the rum over the peaches, taking particular care to ensure that the pit holes are filled with the rum. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap to seal the dish tightly and place in the fridge for a couple of hours or even overnight.

Remove the peaches from the baking dish, reserving the rum marinade.
Sprinkle the cut sides of the peaches with the cinnamon sugar and grill over medium heat for a couple of minutes per side. Serve with ice cream or cake and whipped cream, drizzed with the reserved rum marinade.

Rum and Chocolate Buttercream Torte

This Rum and Chocolate Buttercream Torte is very well appreciated every time I serve it. I sometimes like to sprinkle toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts over the filling and on top of this torte, which makes a very delicious variation to this basic recipe.

Vanilla Cake

Cream well:

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp butter
1 cups sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Add

1 egg

Beat until well creamed.

Sift together
½ cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
½ cup + 1 tbsp cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder

Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternately with

1/3 cup +1 tbsp whole milk

Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter into a 9 inch cake pan that has been greased and floured and the bottom lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Buttercream Filling:

1 cups sugar
1/3 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile beat together to stiff peaks

3 egg whites at room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Slowly pour in the sugar syrup hitting the side of the bowl and not the beaters. Continue beating the frosting for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is completely cool. When completely cool, slowly begin to add, a few tablespoons at a time

1 cup softened unsalted butter

Beat until smooth after each addition.

Combine and melt in a double boiler:

8 ounces chocolate, chopped in small pieces
¼ cup butter

Add to the meringue mixture and beat well until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. This may take 15 minutes or so and you may have to chill the frosting for several minutes before beating it again to get it to stiffen. Alternatively, you can place the frosting bowl in an ice bath while continuing to beat constantly until the icing stiffens sufficiently.

To assemble the torte:

Split the vanilla cake into 2 layers. Sprinkle each half of the cake with

1 ounce dark rum

Fill and frost the cake with the buttercream frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before finishing with the Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup scalded whipping cream
Pour scalded cream over the chocolate chips and let stand for 5 minutes before stirring until completely smooth. Pour and spread over the entire torte.