Recipe: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding, it evens sounds amazing. It's definitely up there with the best when it comes to comfort foods! A dark sponge made with sticky dried dates, and served warm with a glossy butterscotch sauce and a dollop of ice cream... HEAVEN!!
Ingredients
Cake
- 200 g dried dates and stoned dates
- 300 ml water
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150 g brown sugar
- 100 g butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 150 g self raising flour
Toffee Sauce
- 250 g white sugar
- 50 ml water
- 250 ml double cream
- 2 knob(s) butter

Step 1
Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a rectangular baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Step 2
Prep Dates
Chop the dates small pieces and put into a saucepan with the water and coffee. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 mins until the dates are soften and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the dates.

Step 3
Add Bicarb To Dates
Take the pan off of the heat, add the bicarbonate of soda, stir and leave to cool slightly.

Step 4
Make Cake Batter
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Crack in the eggs one at a time and beat in as well. Sieve in the flour and stir to combine. Tip in the dates and all the remaining liquid and stir until well mixed in.

Step 5
Add To Tray And Cook
Pour the date batter into the lined tin and bake for 30 minutes until golden, springy and a knife comes out clean.

Step 6
Make Caramel For Sauce
Put the sugar for the sauce in a pan with the water and allow to boil and bubble for a few minutes until it begins to turn colour. (Do not stir during this time, just shake the pan every so often)

Step 7
Finish Sauce
Pour in the cream once the sugar syrup has gained a fairly golden colour. It will bubble up but that’s fine. Allow to simmer for another 5 mins then whisk in the butter and leave to cool.

Step 8
Serve
Serve a square of the sticky toffee pudding warm with plenty of toffee sauce and a little ice cream. Makes 12 generous pieces.