at home with ann

I've had my Irish last name for nearly four years now.  While I'm not sure I'll ever get on board with traditional boiled dinner - Corned Beef and Cabbage doesn't do it for me, I did want to try some Irish themed dishes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  We had Guinness Beef Stew, which was delicious, and tasted even better as leftovers.  For dessert I was inspired by my latest issue of Martha Stewart Living to make Sticky Toffee Pudding.  I strayed from the original recipe a bit, and had to nearly double the cooking time, but I think it came out well.  The toffee is amazing, but after you eat this you will likely go into sugar shock.  Sticky Toffee Pudding modified from Martha Stewart Living Cake 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for dish 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dish 8 ounces dates, pitted and chopped (about 1 1/4 cups) 1 cup boiling water 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon...