Hello friends – happy Monday and happy (almost) Christmas. Before I head out to spend some down-time with my family, I want to take a moment to tell you how much I LOVE YOU! Writing this blog brings so much joy into my life. What makes the effort most meaningful is knowing that people actually read what I write and even like it (for the most part). Thank you for your emails and messages of kind words over the past 2 and half years. I hope that you have a Merry Christmas filled with good times, great friend and family and yummy food!
On the last note, last night my friend Caroline hosted a FABULOUS holiday dinner. We devoured a delicious, decadent sticky toffee pudding for the dessert. I can still feel it melting in my mouth and have been craving more all morning. So, I searched around for promising British Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe that I could share. I’m going to attempt to make a batch today and bring it to my family’s Christmas Eve gathering. It takes only 40 minutes to prepare and serves about 6. We won’t talk about the calories 🙂
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
by: Elaine Lemm, British and Irish Food Expert
INGREDIENTS
- 8 oz/225g cooking dates, stoned and chopped small
- 6 fl oz/175ml boiling water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 oz/ 175g self-raising
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 large, fresh eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 oz/85g butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
- 5 oz/140g demerara sugar
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 3 ½ fl oz/100ml milk
- SAUCE
- 6 oz /175g light muscovado sugar
- 2 oz/55g butter , cut into pieces
- 8 oz/ 225ml heavy/double cream
- 1 tbsp black treacle
INSTRUCTIONS – to make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C/Gas 3
- Butter 6, 7fl/oz/200ml individual pudding tins or use an 8″ x 8″ x 2 ½” deep (20cm x 20cm x 6.5cm deep) square baking dish and dust lightly with flour.
- Put the chopped dates into a large glass bowl, cover with boiling water, leave for 20 minutes to swell and soften. Once soft, add the vanilla extract.
- Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large baking bowl.
- In another baking bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, don’t worry about grains of sugar, they will melt during cooking.
- Little by little, add the beaten eggs, mixing really well between additions. Add the treacle and beat well.
- Using a large metal spoon carefully fold in one third of the flour, then carefully stir in one third of the milk. Repeat until all the flour and milk is used up.
- Add the chopped dates (including any liquid in the bowl) and stir gently. The pudding mixture will resemble a thick batter.
- Divide the mixture between the six pudding tins, place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 mins for individual puddings or 45 – 50 mins for the large square. The cake should be raised and firm to the touch, if not cook a little longer but take care not to burn. Once ready, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out.
INSTRUCTIONS – to make the sauce (meanwhile)
- Over a medium heat, melt the butter, sugar and half the cream in a saucepan. Raise the heat slightly and bring to the boil stirring constantly until all the sugar has dissolved. Add the treacle and allow the sauce to bubble for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 minute then stir in the remaining cream.
- Place a portion of the cake onto warm individual serving dishes, and drizzle generous amounts of sauce over.
- Serve with custard or ice cream.
