How to make a sticky toffee pudding that's as foolproof as it is mouthwatering

'Wrinkled, fudgy dates add caramel flavours to this week’s recipe', says Melanie Johnson, our kitchen garden cook.

And if you've a few left over when you've made the cake, you can use them as part of a delicious breakfast smoothie. 'Simply process together two dates with one banana, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, 12 almonds, two tablespoons of porridge oats, a few ice cubes and 250ml water,' Melanie explains.

Recipe: Sticky toffee date pudding

Ingredients

For the pudding

• 200g Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1tspn bicarbonate of soda
• 250ml boiling water
• 110g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 300g self-raising flour

For the sticky-toffee sauce

• 100g soft dark-brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 75ml double cream
• A pinch of salt

Method

Preheat your oven to 160˚C/180˚C fan/350˚F/gas mark 4. Line an 8in-square baking dish with baking paper.

Place the dates in a saucepan, sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda (this helps break them down) and then pour over the boiling water. Leave to cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with electric beaters. Add the eggs, mix again, scraping down the sides, and then pour in the cooled dates and all the liquid from the pan. Fold through the flour, mixing until just combined, and then pour into the prepared baking tin. Bake for about 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Make the toffee sauce by simply combining the ingredients in a saucepan and melting them together.

Take the pudding from the oven and serve in generous slices with the hot toffee sauce poured over the top. Ice cream or double cream wouldn’t go amiss.

Credit: Jason Lowe

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