Delightful Desserts
Sticky Toffee Pudding
What comes to mind when you hear the word "pudding"? Personally, I was a bit sceptical at first and suspected there might be a catch. It turns out that the British use the term "pudding" to mean dessert, not just a specific type of dessert. It's not the shapeless, wobbly thing I had in mind! You may find that at the end of a meal the waiter will ask, "Can I tempt you to a pudding?" which basically means, "Would you like a dessert?" It's worth noting that not all puddings are sweet and made with flour. But to keep things simple, let's list some options that fall under the "pudding" category in the UK: — Rice pudding — Cheesecake — Chocolate cake or chocolate fondant — Sponge cake with jam filling, along with a variety of sponge cakes — Tiramisu (why not borrow it?) — Fruit pies and crumbles — Trifle — And my personal favourite – sticky toffee pudding, a recipe I'm happy to share Over time, and after hearing the waiter's question so often, the looser definition of "pudding" became a familiar term in our family and we grew to like it. The word itself is charming and endearing. Sometimes it's easier to turn down a dessert, but it's hard to resist a pudding, especially when you can taste each other's or share a portion between two. The lingering evening is the true essence of pudding. When you've had a great time together over food and chats and find every excuse to prolong the moment before parting ways. This is frequently the case for us when we go out as a couple, and less so when our lively kids are around.
Ingredients
- Serves 4:
- 75 g dates
- 75 g softened butter
- 50 g brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 140 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- For the sauce:
- 150 ml double cream
- 75 g brown sugar
- 25 g butter
Method
- 1Remove the pits from the dates and chop them. In a small saucepan, bring 75 ml of water to the boil, add the dates and simmer for 3–4 minutes until they become a puree. Gently mix until smooth.
- 2Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 4 x 150 ml pudding moulds with butter.
- 3Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder. Stir in the date puree and distribute between the moulds.
- 4Place the moulds into a larger dish filled halfway with boiling water, cover with tin foil and bake for 25 minutes. Check the puddings to make sure they are cooked.
- 5Meanwhile, make the sauce by adding half of the cream, all of the sugar and all of the butter to a thick-based saucepan. Dissolve the sugar over a low heat, then increase the temperature and simmer. Stir until the sauce becomes smooth and thick, about 3–4 minutes. Then stir in the remaining cream.
- 6Serve the puddings topped with the warm sauce and enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
