Sticky Date and Toffee Pudding
- For 60 people
CAKE
- Chopped dates 1.4 kg
- Water 1.7 l
- Bicarbonate of Soda 2 tablespoons
- Margarine or Butter 700 g
- Caster Sugar 750 g
- Eggs 12
- Vanilla Essence 2 tablespoons
- Self-raising flour 1.5 kg
SAUCE
- Soft brown sugar 900 g
- Cream 750 ml
- Butter (NOT margarine) 700 g
PREPARATION
- Pre-heat oven to 190 C. Oil lightly and line 2 medium sized aluminium tins.
- Put dates and water in a pan, bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the soda. Leave to cool in a sink filled with cold water.
- Beat softened butter and sugar together with balloon whisk on high speed, until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one by one, and vanilla essence.
- Take mixing bowl off the mixer, add the cooled dates and mix in, sieve the flour into the bowl and now fold it into the butter mix with a spatula with large movements, trying not to over beat it.
- Fill into the prepared tins. Bake in the oven for 50 min to one hour or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean.
- To make the sauce, put all ingredients into a pan and bring slowly to the boil . Simmer on low heat for 1 minute.
- To serve: Serve once cake has cooled a bit, or if pre-prepared: Reheat cakes covered with aluminium foil for 20 minutes at gas 4, and heat up sauce on low heat.
From TV – Alton Brown
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Use popover pan
- butter
- cream
- treacle – molasses and brown sugar and espresso powder
- Melt 150 gm butter in a pan (11 TBL) over low heat
- 300 gm brown sugar
- 90 gm molasses
- 1 TBL instant coffee powder (preferably espresso)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Whisk over heat till starts to bubble
- Add 3/4 C heavy cream
- simmer for 2-3 minutes, then set aside
- Combine to make cake
- 105 gm AP flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- In food processor
- 150 gm pitted Medjool Dates
- 3/4 C boiling water
- Pulse to break apart
- Add 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 85 gm melted butter
- 65 gm dark brown sugar
- 50 gm granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
- Pulse to combine
- Add flour mixture plus
- 70 gm more pitted dates
- Pulse to combine
- Spoon in 2 tsp topping mix into popover pan
- #10 (2.5 oz) batter into cups – about 2/3 of the way up
- Bake 11 minutes
- Rotate pan, then tap on counter to collapse
- Bake 11 more minutes or 211 degrees
- Remove, let cool a bit, then use a chopstick to break them free of the pan
- Poke about 5 holes using the stick
- Top with 1-2 TBL more toffee
- Broil for 1-2 minutes when ready to serve
- Invert pan and tap on counter
