I had never dared to make Sticky Toffee Pudding before. As my hubby's all-time favourite pudding, it seemed a little bit scary...off-limits, somehow. What if I got it totally wrong and ruined it for him?!
Anyhow, last weekend I broke my sticky toffee fast and took the plunge. Hubby had been away in Japan for two weeks and, as a surprise, I decided to cook him ALL his favourite dishes. Truffle oil chips (I'll share that with you another week!), a huge slab of steak, Oreo brownies and, of course, sticky toffee.
Amazingly, this BBC Good Food recipe (passed on to me via my mum) has now turned out to be my all-time favourite recipe. Deceptively simple to make but rich, gooey and incredibly decadent, this is one I have had to promise I will use again and again and again.
The Medjool dates give this a wonderful toffee-like texture, while the sauce is just...well, heaven!
Just serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and dig in for the perfect winter evening treat.
Sam x
Ingredients:
200g Medjool dates, stoned and chopped
250m black tea, not too strong
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
85g unsalted butter, softened
175g self-raising flour
1tsp mixed spice
175g golden caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
For the toffee sauce:
142ml carton double cream
100g light brown muscovado sugar
100g unsalted butter
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 180C fan, or 160C for non-fan ovens. Place the dates and tea in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the dates, then stir in the bicarbonate of soda.
2. Beat the butter and caster sugar with an electric whisk (use a hand whisk if you want a damn good workout! I prefer the lazy option...) until pale and creamy, then beat in the egg, flour and mixed spice. Fold in the date mixture and pour into a buttered ovenproof dish or brownie tin. Bake for 30-35minutes, or until the top is just firm to touch.
3. Just before you're ready to take the pudding out of the oven, get started on the toffee sauce. No rest for the wicked...Place the sugar, butter and cream in a pan over a low heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Cook until the sauce is a lovely toffee colour.
4. Cut the pudding into squares and serve with the warm, sticky toffee sauce and a scoop of ice cream. Dig in and indulge!
