Sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 225g (8oz) (16 tbsp), at room temperature Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter
- 175g (6 oz) (1 cup) self-raising flour, extra for dusting
- 175g (6 oz) (1 cup) Medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 175g (6 oz) (1 cup) light brown sugar
- ½ vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the butterscotch sauce
- 100g (4oz) (½ cup) caster sugar
- 120ml (4fl oz) (½ cup) cream
- 25g (1oz) (2 tbsp) diced Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter
- Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Directions
A sweet tooth is not a weakness. It’s a gift. Especially when you’re armed with a spoon, contemplating the generous bowl full of sticky toffee pudding in your hands. Always with butterscotch sauce. Sweet bliss. Ice cream is fabulous too. Medjool dates are a delicacy with a price tag to match. Once you savour their sticky caramel taste you can’t go back.
- To make the sublime butterscotch sauce, bring the sugar and 200ml (7fl oz) (¾ cup) of water to the boil in a heavy-based pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until reduced to a rich golden caramel.
- Add the cream to the caramel with the butter, stirring until combined and then simmer gently for another 5 minutes until reduced. Leave to cool for about 10-15 minutes until thickened a little further. With a teaspoon, have a taste. Perks of being the chef!
- If the sauce passed your test, it is ready to serve warm or transfer to a bowl and leave to cool completely, then cover with clingfilm and keep in the fridge until needed. For convenience, you can also pour the sauce into a squeezy bottle and use warm or cold, as desired.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Melt 50g (2 oz) (4 tbsp) of the butter in a small pan or in the microwave and use to brush the insides of 8 x 200ml ( 7fl oz) small pudding bowls or custard cups. Next, lightly dust with a little flour, shaking out any excess. Set aside until needed.
- Place the dates in a pan with 300ml (½ pint) ( 1 ? cups) of water and then bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the dates are soft. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the date mixture, which will make it to foam up. Then set aside to cool a little.
- Meanwhile, cream the brown sugar, vanilla seeds and butter together with a hand held electric mixer in a bowl for about 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Place the date mixture in a food processor and blend for 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl. Add one tablespoon of the flour to the butter and sugar mixture. Then slowly add the eggs and beat well to combine. Add the blended date mixture with the remaining flour and the vanilla extract and stir until you have a smooth dropping consistency.
- Pour the pudding batter into the prepared pudding bowls and arrange on a baking sheet, then bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and firm to touch.
- To serve, leave the puddings to settle for a minute or two before turning out onto warmed plates. Spoon over the dollops of warm, butterscotch sauce and add a scoop of ice cream to each one.
