Sticky Toffee Pudding

These rich puddings are the perfect accompaniment to tea. They are also seriously easy to do. Serve them plain (with the toffee of course), with ice-cream or with whipped cream. The pudding and the toffee keep well in the fridge in (separate) air-tight containers for about a week. While I used a muffin pan with quite large holes, these puddings will be just as great baked in muffin or cupcake pans. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients:
Makes 6, 8.5cm diameter puddings

The Cake:

170g dried, pitted dates
1 cup hot water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce:

1/3 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Butter 6 wells of a pudding tin (or large muffin tin) and dust with flour, shaking out excess, set aside.

Add dates and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then add baking soda and boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, cover saucepan with lid and rest 10 minutes, then puree (the water and dates) in a food processor or blender. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until mixture become lighter in shade. Mix in egg then mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed, add in half of the flour mixture and mix until combined, then mix in pureed date mixture and finish by mixing in remaining half of the flour mixture.

Divide mixture among prepared cupcake pan, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle of a pudding comes out clean.

Meanwhile prepare toffee sauce (about halfway through the pudding cooking time so it's still warm for serving). In a small saucepan combine butter, cream and brown sugar. Heat mixture over medium-high heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches a boil, then allow to boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When done, cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes then run a butter knife around edges to loosen. Plate cakes, poke tops about 10 times with a toothpick then drizzle the warm toffee sauce over the tops.

If you are not serving them at once, store the puddings and the toffee sauce in air-tight containers in the fridge. Before serving, heat the puddings for about 30 seconds in the microwave until warm, and heat the toffee sauce until a bit runny.