Sticky toffee pudding

Sticky toffee pudding
Sticky toffee pudding
Serves: 8
Course: Dessert
Cooking Time: 0 hr 35 mins

Ingredients

  • For the pudding
  • 175g pitted dates
  • 50g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)
  • 170g dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp black treacle
  • 170g self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • Pinch of ground allspice
  • For the toffee sauce
  • 175g dark brown sugar
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • 220ml cream
  • 1 tbsp black treacle

For the pudding:
1
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees or 160 degrees if using a fan oven. Grease a deep skillet pan, about 18-20cm in diameter, with a little butter. You could also use a round cake tin or square baking dish.

2 Put the dates in a medium bowl and cover with 150ml of boiling water. Leave the dates to soak for 10-15 minutes while preparing the rest of the pudding ingredients.

3 In a large bowl, beat together the soft butter and brown sugar until soft and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

4 In a separate bowl, sift the self-raising flour together with the cinnamon, ginger and allspice and set aside.

5 Put the softened dates into a food processor with the soaking water and blend to a smooth purée. Add the date puree to the butter, sugar and egg mix along with the treacle and beat until well combined.

6 Add half of the sifted flour and spices and fold through gently, before adding the remaining flour and mixing until the batter is just combined.

7 Pour the batter into the prepared skillet pan or baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through or a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

For the toffee sauce:
1
Put the butter, sugar, salt and cream into a medium saucepan and place over a medium heat.

2 Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring all the time, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the black treacle and continue to simmer for another two-three minutes, stirring regularly to ensure the sauce doesn't burn.

3 Once the sauce has reduced slightly and has thickened, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly before pouring over the warm sticky toffee pudding to serve.

Aoife Noonan

Aoife Noonan

Aoife Noonan is a pastry chef and culinary consultant. She writes a weekly baking column for the Irish Times Magazine