Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients

• 0.75 cup Medjool dates (About ¾ cup; pits removed and roughly chopped)
• 1 tsp Baking soda (Used with the dates and water)
• 1 cup Boiling water
• 5 tbsp Unsalted butter (Room temperature; for the pudding)
• 4 tbsp Light brown sugar (For the pudding)
• 1 Egg
• 0.5 cup All-purpose flour
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• Vanilla extract (Amount not specified in the source)
• 4 tbsp Unsalted butter (For the toffee sauce)
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar (For the toffee sauce)
• 2 tbsp Heavy cream (For the toffee sauce)
• Kosher salt (Tiny pinch)
• Milk (A couple of tablespoons, only if needed to loosen the sauce when reheating)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a baking dish.

2. 2

   Place the roughly chopped, pitted dates and boiling water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the baking soda.

3. 3

   Whisk the date mixture aggressively for about 1 minute, or until it forms a thick, chunky paste. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

4. 4

   Transfer the cooled date mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Set the date purée aside.

5. 5

   In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then set them aside.

6. 6

   In a separate bowl, cream together the room-temperature unsalted butter and light brown sugar.

7. 7

   Add the egg to the butter mixture and continue beating until combined.

8. 8

   Add the date purée and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat just until incorporated.

9. 9

   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined, taking care not to leave dry pockets.

10. 10

    Pour the cake batter into the lightly greased baking dish.

11. 11

    Bake for about 35–40 minutes, until the pudding is baked through. Remove it from the oven and carefully prick the entire surface with a toothpick.

12. 12

    To make the toffee sauce, place the butter and brown sugar in a pan or pot and bring them to a gentle boil.

13. 13

    Whisk the butter and sugar mixture until it thickens slightly.

14. 14

    Lower the heat, add the heavy cream, whisk to combine, and turn off the heat.

15. 15

    Keep the sauce warm in the pan. If reheating causes it to become too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of milk to loosen it.

Notes

The source mentions vanilla extract in the method but does not provide a quantity. It also mentions milk only as an optional addition when reheating the sauce. The source does not explicitly state whether the sauce should be poured over the pudding before serving, so that finishing detail is omitted.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• British
• baked
• cake
• date pudding
• vegetarian
• make-ahead friendly