Sticky Toffee Pudding

Yesterday was one of those rainy, damp, cold days that leaves you hankering for some stew and in my case, some kind of delicious, gooey dessert. Jamie's Dinners is turning out to be a well used cookbook for me so I turned to it again for some ideas and had to try out his Sticky Toffee Pudding. I remember as a kid having a Sunday dinner at some family friends house and they served this chocolate cake type thing with a warm gooey sauce over it and I always remembered it. Hear goes..



8 oz fresh dates pitted (I used dried figs)
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon self rising flour
1/4 teaspoon ground mixed apple pie spices (yr guess is as good as mine! I used a little ginger and nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon ovaltine (didn't have this so I used ground chocolate for hot choc)
2 tablespoon natural plain yogurt (I used vanilla yogurt)

for the toffee sauce
8 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

preheat oven to 350
Put dates/figs in bowl with baking soda and cover with 1 cup boiling water, let stand a couple minutes, let soften and drain. Whizz the dates in food processor untill you have a pure (I used my Magic Bullet) Cream butter and sugar until pale using wood spoon, add eggs, flour, pie spices, cinnamon and Ovaltine. Mix together well, then fold int eh yogurt and your pureed dates. Pour batter into greased baking pan and bake for 35 minutes.

While pudding is baking, make the sauce by putting the butter, sugar, and cream in a pan over low heat until the sugar disolves and the sauce has thickened and darkened in colour.


yum :)