Ingredients
For the puddings:
- 225g whole dates, preferably Medjool
- 175ml boiling water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 175g self-raising flour, plus 1 tbsp extra
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 eggs
- 85g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 140g demerara sugar
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- 100ml milk
- cream or custard to serve (optional)
For the toffee sauce:
- 175g light muscovado sugar
- 50g butter, cut into pieces
- 225 ml double cream
- 1 tbsp black treacle
Method
- Stone and chop the dates quite small. Put them in a bowl and the pour the boiling water over. Leave for about 30 mins until cooled and well soaked, then mash a bit with a fork. If there is excess water pour this away. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Butter and flour 6 mini pudding dishes or ramekins, each about 200ml and sit them on a baking sheet.
- Heat oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas 4.
- Whilst the dates are soaking, make the puddings. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until slightly creamy. For the butter and sugar, make this the biggest bowl. Add the eggs to the butter mixture a little at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the black treacle, then gently fold in a third of the flour, then half the milk, being careful not to overbeat. Repeat until all the flour and milk is used. Stir the soaked dates into the pudding batter. The mix will look like a soft, thick batter.
- Spoon evenly between the tins and bake for 20-25 mins until risen and firm.
- Meanwhile to make the sauce, put the sugar and butter in a medium saucepan with half the cream. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Stir in the black treacle, turn up the heat slightly and let the mixture bubble away for 2-3 mins until it is a rich toffee colour. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Take the pan off the heat and beat in the rest of the cream.
- Remove the puddings from the oven. Leave in the tins for a few minutes then loosen them well from the sides of the tins with a small palette knife before turning them out.
- You can serve them now with the sauce drizzled over, but they will be even stickier if left for a day or two coated in the sauce. To do this, pour over half the sauce into one or two oven proof dishes. Sit the up-turned puddings on the sauce, then pour the rest of the sauce over them. Cover with a loose tent of foil so that the sauce doesn’t smudge. There is no need to put them in the fridge.
- When ready to serve, heat oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas 4. Warm the puddings through still covered for 15-20 mins or until the sauce is bubbling. Serve them on their own or with cream or with custard.