WALSENBURG- Every time I went to eat at Alys’ Fireside Cafe, it didn’t matter what I would order; I would always end every meal with Alys’ fabulous Chocolate Whiskey Pudding.
Alys Romer has been making the dessert ever since she opened Alys’ Fireside Cafe in Walsenburg in 1995. On Saturday evening, she served her last portion of whiskey pudding before closing her doors for good.
“I’ve had a great time here,” Romer said. “I’ve made a lot of friends along the way.” She is leaving to go back to New Jersey to help take care of her ailing father.
On Sunday, Romer threw a farewell party for her many friends and customers. A local band played live music, and food was served for free- “I gotta clean the fridge out,” she said with a laugh.
One of Romer’s next projects is to produce a cook book with all of the wonderful recipes she has served in the 13 years her cafe was open. She would love it if people with special memories or funny stories about her food would contact her, so she could possibly include them in the cook book. She can be reached at alysfiresidecafe@att.net, or write her at 390 Larch Ave. Bogota, NJ 07603.
She is leaving us with a teaser from the cookbook; the recipe for her Chocolate Whiskey pudding. She says she got the recipe 30 years ago from a chocolatier magazine, and simplified it over the years. “The original version required you to do math every time you made it, so I changed it so it is the same each time.”
Alys’ Chocolate Whiskey Pudding
The whole recipe can be mixed in the same bowl and one pyrex cup- why dirty more dishes?
In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, heat 1 cup milk and 4 tablespoons butter until the butter melts.
In a bowl, mix together 2 cups of flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 and 1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup baking cocoa powder.
Add butter and milk mixture plus 1 tablespoon vanilla to the dry mixture in the bowl. Mix well.
Spread evenly on the bottom of a buttered or sprayed 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. It can also be made in a decorative casserole dish if you plan to serve from the dish.
In the same mixing bowl mix together 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 and 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/3 cup cocoa powder. Mix together lightly- do not try to get all the lumps out.
Spread over the bottom layer- do not stir it in.
Pour 1/2 cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey- (and it has to be Jack Daniel’s- I have tried other whiskies and it does not turn out as well) into the same Pyrex cup, and then fill to the 2 cup mark with water.
Gently pour the whiskey/water mixture over the back of a spoon onto the pudding in the pan. This disperses the liquid gently over the top of the pudding without creating ‘wells’ in the layers.
At this altitude, bake 45 minutes at 350°. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
