Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 9 oz pitted dates (roughly chopped)
• 1 tsp baking soda / bi carb soda
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 1/4 cups plain flour ((all purpose flour))
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
• 1 1/2 cups thickened cream ((heavy cream))
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• Ice cream or dolloping cream

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F, and grease seven pudding moulds with butter or line a 7¾ in square cake pan with an overhang of paper.
2. Put the chopped pitted dates in a bowl, scatter the baking soda over them, pour the boiling water on top and leave them for 10 minutes, then mash the mixture well until it resembles sloppy porridge.
3. Beat the softened butter with the quarter cup of brown sugar until combined and smooth, then beat in the eggs until incorporated.
4. Add the plain flour with the baking powder sprinkled over its surface and mix until the flour disappears, then stir the mashed dates quickly through the batter.
5. For one large pudding, pour the batter into the lined pan, smooth the top and bake it for 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean, or fill moulds two-thirds full and bake them for 25 minutes instead.
6. Make the butterscotch sauce by putting the cup of brown sugar, thickened cream, vanilla extract and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts, then simmering the sauce for 2 minutes.
7. While the pudding is still hot, poke about 40 holes over a large pudding or 10 holes in each small one with a skewer, spoon hot butterscotch sauce over so it soaks in for 10 minutes, then turn moulds out or lift the pan pudding free and serve warm with the remaining sauce and ice cream or dolloping cream.

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 50 min

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data