Dawn
Culinary Explorer
come on let's sit with this lovely snack!
Ingredients:
- For the Pudding:
- 200g (7 oz) pitted dates, chopped
- 250ml (1 cup) boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 50g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 75g (1/3 cup) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- For the Toffee Sauce:
- 100g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 100g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
- 100ml (1/2 cup) double cream (heavy cream)
- 1 tbsp golden syrup (or light corn syrup)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Dates:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm (8-inch x 8-inch) square baking dish or a similar-sized dish.
- In a heatproof bowl, combine the chopped dates and boiling water. Stir in the baking soda. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to soften the dates.
- Make the Pudding Batter:
- In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and fold it into the butter mixture.
- Fold in the softened dates along with any liquid from the bowl.
- Bake:
- Pour the pudding batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prepare the Toffee Sauce:
- While the pudding is baking, make the toffee sauce.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the light brown sugar, double cream, and golden syrup.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Serve:
- Once the pudding is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- Serve warm with the toffee sauce poured over the top. You can also serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
