Sticky Toffee Pudding

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
2. Place the dates in a bowl and pour the water over. Allow it to soak for 10 minutes. Mash them with a fork or you can roughly blend them using a stick blender or food processor. Set aside
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate soda and set aside
4. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar and butter until light and creamy
5. Add the egg, one at a time and mix until incorporated
6. Mix in the vanilla essence
7. Add the dry ingredients and using the electric mixer give it a quick mix. Doesn’t have to be fully incorporated
8. Add the dates and again, using the electric mixer, give it a quick mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix
9. Pour the batter into 6 greased ramekins, ¾ full. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
10. Once the puddings are cooked poke a generous amount of holes in them, whilst still warm and pour some sauce into each ramekin
11. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving. Top up with whipped cream or ice-cream and drizzle more sauce on top and serve warm

Butterscotch Sauce

1. Place the butter, sugar and cream in a medium saucepan
2. Gently swirl the pan until the sugar dissolves
3. Once the sugar has dissolved allow it to simmer 3-4 minutes, undisturbed
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla essence

Tips

• You can also use a square lined dish for this dessert instead of the ramekins
• We love loads of sauce so this may be a little extra for some of you. You can store the remaining sauce in airtight jar for up to 8 weeks, in the refrigerator
• This dessert is best served warm so you can reheat it before serving, if not serving immediately