Tip – Make sure the eggs and butter are at room temp and not fridge cold, this will help prevent splitting the mix. The pudding and sauce can be made a day or two in advance and heated up. Finally If you want to pimp up the recipe try adding some bananas or rum for a different twist on the traditional.
Method
01. Pre-heat oven to 170 C / 338 F / Gas mark 4.
02. Butter eight small pudding basins (dariole moulds) or line a baking tray with butter and greaseproof.
03. Place the dates, water and bicarbonate into a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. When cooled slightly blitz for 20-30 seconds.
04. Whisk the butter and sugar together in a mixer or by hand. Add the eggs one by one to avoid the mix splitting, then add the date mix and finally sift in the flour and fold it in.
05. Pour the mixture into the prepared pudding basins or tray, filling them two-thirds full.
06. Bake individually for 20-25mins or tray bake for 30-35mins. Check they are well risen and springy to the touch, checking by inserting a skewer and it coming out clean (no raw batter) means it is cooked.
Ingredients
500ml double cream
200g demerara sugar
200g unsalted butter
Method
01. For the sauce, gently heat the cream in a saucepan. Add the sugar and butter and whisk until melted, simmer for a few mins and take off the heat. (Keep an eye on the sauce as it can over boil quickly) .
02. To serve, turn the pudding out onto a plate, or cut the tray bake into portions, spoon the sauce over the top and around, then finish with a dollop of ice cream.