I LOVE STICKY DATE pudding.
I had never had it before coming to Australia ...
Here's how you make it ..
For the pudding:
250g pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarb soda
1.5 cups boiling water
125g softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 and 3/4 cups self raising flour, sifted
For the sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
300ml thickened cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
60g butter
Preheat oven to 180C/350F
Line (or grease) the base of a cake pan. I used a round one.
Soak the dates in the boiling water, with bicarb soda mixed in. Soak for about 20 minutes. Don't tip out the water ... although, I did (accidentally) and it was fine after I replaced it. But still, it's better if you use the water the dates soaked in !
Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in your electric mixer. Beat til pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each one is added. Fold the date mixture and flour in until well combined.
Pour this into the cake pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake. (this is tricky though since it's a sticky date ! ours didn't come out totally clean but it wasn't all goopy anymore ) Turn onto a plate.
Make the sauce ...
Over a medium heat, combine sauce ingredients in a sauce pan. Stir often, til sauce boils. Reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Make holes all over the pudding with a skewer. Pour warm sauce over warm pudding. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce and ice cream !
YUM YUM YUM !!
