Treat Thursday: Sticky Toffee Pudding

This Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe is from The Great British Book and Baking and credit is given to Francis Coulson and Brian Sack, the original creators of this gourmet recipe. It was a Christmas gift from Di and is the gift that keeps on giving!  It’s a delicious treat and brings back travel memories of time spent in England. Bon Appétite!!

 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

9 servings

For the Sponge Cake:

175g stoned (pitted) chopped dates

1 teaspoon baking soda

300 ml boiling water

75g unsalted butter, softened

175 caster (granulated) sugar

2 medium free range eggs, at room temperature, beaten

175g self-rising flour

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

For the Sauce:

200g soft dark brown muscavado sugar

100g unsalted butter

150ml double cream (heavy whipping cream)

1 vanilla pod

 An 18cm (9x9) square cake tin or pyrex dish, greased with butter.

 

Directions

Put the dates and baking soda in a medium pan. Pour over the boiling water-the mixture will foam up. Set the pan over a medium heat and simmer for 1 minute, then take off the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°/350°. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Gently stir in the flour (switch to a spoon if you’ve been using a whisk), followed by the date mixture and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the greased tin and bake for about 35 minutes, until springy to touch.

 

While the pudding is baking, make the sauce. Put the sugar, butter, and cream into a medium pan, preferably non-stick. Split the vanilla pod down its length and add to the pan. Heat gently until the butter has melted, then bring to the boll and simmer for about 5 minutes, until thick and toffee colored.

Spoon a little of the sauce over the cooked pudding to coat the surface, and return it to the over for a couple of minutes more so the top turns sticky. Remove from the oven, cut the sponge into squares, pour the rest of the hot sauce into a jug and serve immediately.