Sticky Toffee Pudding

• Pudding

• 225 g pitted dates (~250g unpitted)
• 1 + 3/4 cups AP flour
• 120 ml boiling water
• 2 teabags Earl Grey
• 120 ml milk, at room temperature
• 160 ml + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 140 g brown sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt

• Toffee Sauce

• 215 g brown sugar
• 240 ml heavy cream
• 115 g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp molasses

• To Finish

• Flaky salt (to taste)
• 473 ml vanilla ice cream

Preheat Oven

1. 1

   Pre-heat your oven to 175 °C.

Prepare Date Mixture

2. 2

   Bring your water to a boil. If you’d like to try some date-earl gray tea as well, add an extra cup of boiling water (it was actually quite delicious!)

3. 3

   Remove the pits from your dates if you haven’t already. Roughly chop your dates, and add them to a heat-proof container. Pour the boiling water over your dates, and add your tea bags. Let the tea steep for 5 minutes, then remove your tea bags. Remove your tea to drink if you added some extra, leaving only a 120 ml of hot water to submerge the dates. Add your 1 tbsp of baking soda, and mix it in with the dates (the mixture should start to foam). Let sit for another 5 minutes.

Blend Date Mixture

4. 4

   While still warm, blend your date mixture with an immersion blender, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Mix Butter and Sugar

5. 5

   In a large mixing bowl, add 160 ml of softened butter. Mix with a hand mixer until the butter is smooth & spread around the bottom of the bowl.

6. 6

   Add your brown sugar, and mix once more until the butter & sugar are homogeneous, and have increased in volume (~2 minutes).

7. 7

   Each time you mix in a new ingredient, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients

8. 8

   One at a time, add your eggs and mix them in on low speed (don’t mix too aggressively!) Wait until the first egg is well incorporated before adding the second one. Add your milk, molasses, and vanilla extract to the bowl, and mix once more to combine.

9. 9

   Next, use a spatula and fold in your date purée. Quickly whisk your baking powder & salt into your flour in a separate bowl. Once incorporated, start adding your flour, about 120 ml at a time, using a strainer to sift the flour into the bowl (this will remove any clumps). Ensure each 120 ml of flour is well incorporated before adding the next.

Bake

10. 10

    Coat 6 128 g ramekins with your remaining tbsp of softened butter, ensuring they are very well coated. You do not want your puddings to stick to the ramekins! Evenly divide the batter between the ramekins, ensuring you leave at least 1cm of space below the rim (because the puddings will rise quite a bit when baking).

11. 11

    Bake the ramekins for 20-30 minutes, or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out *slightly* moist when inserted in the middle of the pudding (not gooey with batter, but not dry either).

Make the sauce

12. 12

    While the puddings are baking, make your sauce. Add your butter, cream, brown sugar and molasses to a pot, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once at a boil, turn the heat down to low, and cook down your sauce until it has thickened & darkened in colour.

13. 13

    You will know it's done when the bubbles on the surface of the sauce are very small (because most of the moisture has already boiled away). Remove your sauce from the burner, but keep in a warm place.

Prepare for serving

14. 14

    Once your sticky toffee puddings are done baking, carefully remove them from their ramekins, and cut off the "muffin top" from each one. You can save these as a snack to eat with coffee or tea!

15. 15

    With the remaining pudding, poke as many holes as you can through the cut side of the puddings, using a skewer or toothpick. In the bottom of each ramekin, pour 1-2 tablespoons of toffee sauce, as well as a drizzle along the walls of the ramekins. Place each pudding back into the ramekins, then pour another 2 tbsp of sauce over top of the puddings, so it will seep into the holes you made.

16. 16

    Transfer the puddings back into the oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until the toffee sauce is hot & bubbling.

Serve

17. 17

    When ready to serve, invert the puddings into the centre of a bowl or plate, and serve warm with a generous spoonful toffee sauce around the pudding. Add a pinch of flaky salt on top of each pudding, and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!